


Episode 2-14 - "Solarian Nights"

by stgjr



Series: Undiscovered Frontier Season 2 - "Whispers of Destiny" [14]
Category: Multi-Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse, Space Opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-21 11:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 47,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11357067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The setting of Solaris and the SOTS universe is the conception of posters from the Omniverse One web forum and has been adapted with their permission.

**Teaser**  
  
  
_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 6 September 2642 AST. Captain Robert Dale recording. The_ Aurora _is in Universe S0T5 to commemorate the admission of a new member of the Alliance, the first to come from this_ unique _universe, the Kingdom of Avalon. We are now in orbit over the capital planet Britannia. Admiral Maran has informed us that we were requested by name for a ceremonial banquet being held in honor of the occasion, and from what I am told, ourselves as well.  
  
Given the reputation of this nation and of this entire universe, it will be an… interesting experience, I'm sure._  
  
The command officers of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ had been to their share of state banquets and diplomatic dinners. It meant time in their stuffy dress uniforms and being feted with rich food that could occasionally be very disagreeable. They would put up with whatever conversation came to their hosts and pray for the courses to end so they could either head to the relatively freer post-dinner receptions or, if lucky, return straight to the ship.  
  
As a result, most of them were still in various stages of shock at the "banquet" in question. Instead of quiet conversation among groups, shouts and laughs echoed to the wooden rafters and the colorful coats of arms banners hanging from them, while the wooden tables were bare of any cloth, bearing only their plates, utensils, and the food itself. Several roasts of all forms of animals were on plates scattered down every table, with some vegetables and other foods, and young ladies in cotton blouses and dresses brought frothy mugs of beer and ale for the attendees.  
  
The attendees in question were uniformed, but the uniforms in question were large robes mostly of fur with cotton and linen clothing underneath. The men and women in these suits were physically fit, often brawny, with thick beards and mustaches on many of the men.  
  
The same was true of the man at the head of the central table, in a chair bigger than any other. His robe was the best-made, with ermine borders, with a graying dark beard that went down to his chest in a way that reminded Robert of Santa Claus. A golden crown on his brow glistened with a few precious stones set into its glittering halo. His voice boomed through the banquet hall with tremendous power. It was a fitting voice for a man of his raw size and energy. He was King Galahad "the Graced" of Avalon, the newest Head of State in the United Alliance of Systems.  
  
And, as far as Robert could tell, likely to be the loudest.  
  
Robert sat to his left as a "guest of honor" with Julia beside him, Zack in the next seat, and everyone else down from them by order of rank and staff position. Their dress uniforms, white with branch color and gold trim and the tasseled epaulets on the shoulders, were a jarring contrast to the garb of virtually every other attendee to the meal.  
  
"...and I stared down the Bragulan and gave him a punch, right in the nose!" roared Galahad, at which the attendees laughed and cheered. "And he was out like that! One punch! One of my best! And then I ordered Sir Belvedere to hold the thing down while I bound him!"  
  
A very large bearded man across from Caterina roared out a laugh. She stared at him, amazed and maybe a little intimidated. "And we dragged that ruffian back to our ship and got out just before the Bragulan Fleet jumped in! It was a glorious hunt and a triumphant outing for His Majesty!" With that boast made Sir Belvedere grabbed a large chicken leg and ripped a mouthful of meat from the bone while Caterina quietly put another small piece of lamb onto a fork.  
  
Again the hall roared with delight.  
  
From his seat beside Caterina, Barnes leaned in and quietly asked "What's a Bragulan?"  
  
"They're a species native to S0T5," she responded in as low a voice. "Mammalian, ursinoid."  
  
"Ursinoid?"  
  
"Uh, think of a bear. The Bragulans are… space-faring bears."  
  
Barnes nodded quietly. "Uh huh."  
  
Meanwhile Angel murmured to Leo, "This is like a frat party, isn’t it?"  
  
"You have no idea…" he replied.  
  
"But enough of my exploits!" shouted King Galahad. He directed his dark eyes and a wide grin to Robert and the others. "We are here to celebrate our fellow knights in the Alliance! Sir Robert, Lady Julia, please, regale us with your tales of glory and victory over the Narzis!"  
  
"The Narzis?" Julia asked. "You mean the Nazis?"  
  
"Yes, the Narzis!" Galahad laughed. "We remember well the tales of old, the stories of how our ancestors, in the days of Ancient Britain, led the world into battle against the Narzis of Germania!" He held up a mug of ale and guzzled some down. "Every knight knows the tale of Sir Winston the Bold, who led his sky knights into glorious battle against the dark lord Hitler and his warriors, and of how Sir Winston slew the dark lord in a sky duel!" Another cheer roared around the room.  
  
Robert almost instinctively remarked that Winston Churchill did not, in fact, kill Adolf Hitler in any kind of duel (at least not in any history he was aware of), but Julia's elbow bumped him with enough force to distract him. She said, "We have faced the Nazis in a number of battles, Your Majesty. Is there any battle you wish us to recount?"  
  
"Speak to us of your brave deeds in keeping the Narzis from the ancient secrets of the Darglan." The voice, said in a giddy soprano, was from one of the figures to Galahad's left and across from the _Aurora_ officers. The young lady, one in three, was wearing a fine blue dress and robe with a massive pink headdress that looked like it came from a medieval European costume. The _Aurora_ officers recognized her immediately as one of Galahad's daughters.  
  
"An excellent choice, Marissa!" Galahad declared.  
  
"Well…" Julia smiled thinly at Robert, who was still trying to align the fact that this was supposed to be a state celebration banquet with the fact that it had the atmosphere of a show at Medieval Times. "We sent a team down to investigate the Facility while we remained to watch in orbit. The Nazi ships came out of the first planet…" She stopped herself at that point, noticing a number of those assembled were clearly not following. She looked to the others and her mind raced. Emissary Gordon, the Alliance representative who had finished negotiating Avalon's admission and who now sat on the left side of the table beyond Galahad's top ministers, gave them a nervous look.  
  
"And they came for us, for their leader wanted to avenge our defeat of him in our first encounter, when we saved a ship full of innocent people from his cowardly bloodthirst," Robert suggested, trying to match the energy of Galahad's story and not quite making it. He looked down toward the others, his green eyes pleading for help.  
  
A single mug struck the table with a resounding thump. "Alright, lads an' lasses, allow me." Scotty rose to his feet. "So, our mission was t' secure that old Facility or blew her up t' keep th' Nazi scunners from claimin' her. Captain Dale led the team down t' hold th' place while th' Commander, brilliant lass that she is, remained on th' ship t' see us through. An' every skill we had was t' be needed, for th' bloody Nazis had brought an entire squadron t' take th' place. An' they were all SS, th' worst an' meanest bastards ye've ever seen, led by a scoundrel named Eicke who we stopped from killin' a ship o' helpless civilians. An' he had it out for us, oh did he ever, chasin' us with that bloody big dreadnought o' his…"  
  
It was clear that Scotty had the rapt attention of the assembled, so the crew let him tell the story. He didn't give it the melodramatic, roaring style that Galahad had used, but he clearly had an approach the audience related to, and they cheered at the appropriate parts.  
  
"An' that's how it went, Yer Majesty," he said at the ending.  
  
Galahad set down his half-devoured drumstick and slammed his meaty hands together in applause. "A glorious tale, sir! Glorious! Why, it gets my blood pumping! It makes me long to join my knights in battle with the Narzis! And perhaps I shall, if called upon, but my duties and the needs of honor mean I must leave that to Sir George!" He nodded to one of the men nearest him at the table, who nodded back in respect. "Good knights must all attend our duties before our desires. As King, I must set a good example." It was quite clear how much he disliked this decision, though.  
  
"Do not worry, Father," declared another of his daughters, older and more powerfully built than Marissa and lacking the medieval-looking headdress. "I will win honor in battle in your name!"  
  
"I trust you will, Miranda! I trust you will! I trust that all of you, from the finest sons and daughters of Camelot to the most humbly born of the colonies, will win great glory and honor in battle against the Narzi scourge!"  
  
The hall erupted in a cheer yet again.  
  
The King let a serving girl replace his empty mug with a full one, which he snatched up witn enough force to spill some of the frothy, amber-colored ale to the table. He held up the mug and proclaimed, "To Camelot and Avalon! To the Alliance! To honor, to glory, and to _victory!_ "  
  
With their mugs held high, the crowd roared back, " _To victory!_ " The _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ officers joined in, some louder than the others.  
  
Once the cheer was over Galahad leaned to his left, where another robed man, older with long gray hair and beard and a thin build, leaned in and whispered to him. "My First Minister has reminded me of an announcement to make. As we speak, my subjects are preparing to vote for their first representatives and Senator to sit in the Alliance Council. And Sir Percival has already accepted the Round Table's appointment to sit as their Senator. That leaves my choice for Senator, and I wish to see her honored here." He directed his eyes towards his daughters, specifically the fair-haired beauty between Marissa and Miranda. But while Marissa and Miranda were in medieval-looking robes, this one was in a more modern suit jacket and skirt of blue-gray color that matched her eyes. "My dear daughter, Princess Marigold, it will break my heart to no longer see you at my hearth and table. But with your skill in council and law, it would be wrong to deny you the honor of executing this duty."  
  
Marigold nodded to her father. "I will serve you with honor, Father, to return the honor you have shown me in trusting this duty to me."  
  
A solemn moment of silence passed, the first since the banquet had begun.  
  
It lasted only that moment, however, before Galahad's voice boomed yet again. "And now, while the next course comes, Sir Tristan and Lady Regina will demonstrate their skill with the sword!"  
  
There was, of course, a cheer of approval at that.  
  
  
  
  
After a night of drinking, eating, and partying that seemed more befitting a frat house than a state banquet, everyone beamed back to the _Aurora_. "I'm off to bed," Julia grumbled.  
  
"That was way too much food," Caterina groaned. "I almost got sick."  
  
"Where does King Galahad _put_ it all?" Robert wondered aloud as they spilled out of Transporter Station 1. "The man ate every course!"  
  
"Given how energetic he is, he must burn enough calories." Leo stifled a yawn. "I'm off to bed too." He looked over at Lucy as she stepped out of the station, sporting a growing bruise on the side of her face. "Singh should be able to take care of that."  
  
"Good." She grimaced. "That guy was a lot faster than I thought he'd be."  
  
"I discouraged you from challenging him," Meridina reminded Lucy, stepping up from behind her. A look of concern briefly came to her face. "I do not see what you had to prove."  
  
"Well, they were asking for one of us to duel, with swords, and aside from the two of us I'm not sure who could tried?" Lucy rubbed at her head. "Ow, that smarted. I'm going to get these bruises healed and head to bed."  
  
Everyone split up as the conversations came to an end. Robert returned to his and couldn't pull his dress uniform off quickly enough. His head was fuzzy from the beer - he had possibly drank one too many - and it took him an extra ten seconds or so to properly stow the uniform top away. He was pulling off the trousers when a light on his computer table came on. A tone told him a comm call was coming in. He went over and flopped into the chair before tapping the acceptance key. "Dale here."  
  
The voice on the other end was Lieutenant John Pacetti, the Gamma Shift watch officer. " _Sir, we have Maran on a priority channel for you._ "  
  
Robert frowned at that. Maran had them making a tour of the Alliance's S0T5 colonies next. What could have happened to change that? Nor was he looking forward to a conversation when he felt like this. "Put him through to my quarters."  
  
" _Yes sir_."  
  
A moment later Admiral Maran appeared on his screen, graying dark hair and beard kept trim. " _Captain, I trust everything went well?_ "  
  
Robert nodded once. Only once, as he didn’t feel up to another. "The banquet was a success. Although it's not like any other banquet I've seen before. I apologize, sir, if I seem tipsy, but we didn’t want to offend..."  
  
Maran nodded and a small grin appeared on his face. " _Emissary Gordon's notes on the Avalonians made for interesting reading. I'm glad to know it worked out well. Avalon's got some of the best starfighter pilots in the Multiverse and a fleet of carrier starships that will play a critical role in future fleet operations._ " The grin had already faded back to a stoic expression by this point. " _Captain, your tour has been canceled for the time being. A… delicate situation has come up, and the_ Aurora _has been called in to handle it._ "  
  
"Yes sir? Where do you need us?"  
  
" _Set a course immediately for the city-moon of Solaris_."  
  
Robert blinked. The fuzzy-headed feeling started to part from surprise. "Solaris? As in the capital of the Solarian Sovereignty? I thought they were forbidding Alliance starships from their space?"  
  
" _They are, for the moment. But entry has been arranged for your ship. Just don't make any hostile maneuvers while you're in their space and you'll be fine._ "  
  
"Can you tell me what's going on?" Robert asked.  
  
Maran spent a moment considering his answer. " _It's a delicate situation, and it'll be explained better when you get there. We have a partnership with one of the biggest research companies on Solaris, you see. And our partner reported that a critical device was stolen from his labs a few days ago, enough to jeopardize a very important project we're working on. He insisted that you work to retrieve it._ "  
  
"Who is the partner?"  
  
" _Pan-Empyrean_ ," Maran answered.  
  
Even if he was no expert on S0T5, Robert still recognized the name. "You mean… our partner is Sidney Hank?"  
  
" _Yes_ ," Maran answered. " _So you can understand why we're taking his requests so seriously. Given the distance you should have a couple of days, minimum, to get your crew up to speed on Solaris and what to expect. I'll send you all of the relevant information. And remember that the_ Aurora _is the first active duty Alliance Stellar Navy ship to visit the city-moon, so make sure your people understand that if they take liberty._ "  
  
"I will, sir. I'll send you regular reports on what's going on.  
  
" _Very good. Maran out._ "  
  
Once the channel was cut Robert called up the bridge again. "We have a change of plans. Have all crew currently on liberty planetside beamed up and set a course for the Solaris system, Warp 9.2. Take us out when we have everyone aboard."  
  
" _Alright, sir_ ," replied Pacetti.  
  
Robert sighed and ended the call. He had the feeling this wouldn't be an easy mission. Especially not with the reputation of a place like Solaris.

 

**Undiscovered Frontier  
_"Solarian Nights"_**

 

****

The streaks of warp travel were showing outside of the bridge conference lounge window by the time every gathered the following morning. Hargert's staff had laid out a breakfast selection for them with lots of water and coffee, all of which was greatly appreciated.  
  
With the exceptions of Meridina and Zack, everyone looked at least slightly hung over. "I hav'nae had a headache this bad since Captain Kirk invited Gorkon t' dinner," Scotty complained.  
  
"I feel like a truck ran over my head," Cat moaned.  
  
"So we've all had a little reinforcement about the dangers of alcohol," Julia remarked, quietly drinking coffee and water together. "Let's keep that in mind for next time?"  
  
"I think our choices were 'drink heavily' or 'offend our hosts'." Jarod held up an icing-topped donut for a moment and took a drink of coffee before he took a bite from the pastry.  
  
"Hangovers in the line of duty," Barnes mumbled. "Maybe we should get medals."  
  
"Alright everyone…" Robert spoke loud enough to get their attention. Heads turned to face him. "Admiral Maran's calling us in on an urgent mission."  
  
"I was wondering why we had already left Avalon," Locarno said, taking another drink of coffee afterward.  
  
"So, where are we headed then?"  
  
"Solaris."  
  
Surprised looks filled the room. "You're kidding," Zack said.  
  
"We're actually going to Solaris?" Caterina asked. "Because… wow."  
  
Lucy held up a hand. "Maybe it's just all of the time spent practicing life force stuff, but I admit I'm still a little ignorant about this place… what's the big deal?"  
  
Robert nodded to Julia. She put her hands together on the table. "Solaris is, or maybe you could say _was_ , a garden moon. Now it's one massive moon-sized city with a population of nearly thirty billion beings on an orbital body about ten percent larger than Earth's moon. It's the capital of the United Solarian Sovereignty, a federation of worlds on the edge of what is known as Wild Space."  
  
"The Solarians are one of the major powers of S0T5," Robert added. "On the surface they're a democratic republic, with an elected government and President. But observers consider them to be a corporate oligarchy in structure, with several massive megacorporations running the show in truth. They're highly militarized, and given the state of some of their neighbors, they have to be."  
  
"And they don't like us that much," Jarod said.  
  
"I didn't think they were that hostile, I mean, we have relations and some trade, right?" asked Zack.  
  
Robert nodded. "We do. And we're due to meet the Alliance Ambassador to Solaris when we arrive as a preliminary to the meeting the Admiral has ordered us to. Or rather, ordered me, Julia, Zack, and Jarod to. But the Solarians are still wary of the Alliance. Our arrival in S0T5 has altered the interstellar balance of power. The Solarians don't want us allying with hostile powers, but they're afraid that being too cozy with us might make their enemies go for broke to prevent a permanent shift in the balance of power."  
  
While Robert stopped to take a drink of coffee, Julia took over. "We're the first combat-capable Alliance starship to enter Solarian space. So we have to be on best behavior. Normal running status only. And we'll decide on liberty once we get there."  
  
"So, what are we being sent out here to do?" asked Kane.  
  
"Admiral Maran didn't want to divulge exact details remotely," Robert answered. "So I don't know everything yet. What his information has gone over is _who_ we're working with." Robert hit a key on the small control pad beside his spot at the table. The monitor screen on the interior wall of the conference lounge changed to show a dark-haired man with fine, handsome features and piercing sky blue eyes. He was in a rich-looking suit of midnight blue with a vast skyline in profile behind him. The image was clearly for public display.  
  
"Wait, I think I remember that guy on a news report or something," Caterina said. "He's this really rich guy or something."  
  
"Sidney Leon Hank," Robert said. "President, CEO, and Founder of Pan-Empyrean Positronics and Pan-Empyrean Holdings, owner of multiple other major corporations and businesses, and quite possibly the richest man in the Multiverse. And I say possibly because once you get to this guy's level of wealth, it's hard to calculate exact worth. He's the one percent of the one percent."  
  
"According to his profile, he's also considered a Founding Father of the Solarian Sovereignty itself and is one of their most influential citizens. Apparently he was one of the original leading colonists of the moon." Julia blinked at the data. "And given the Sovereignty has been around for something like two hundred years, and Solaris nearly ten times longer than that... I have trouble believing that."  
  
"So what, this guy is some immortal billionaire?"  
  
Jarod shook his head at Barnes' remark. "’Billionaire’ doesn't even begin to do justice. Through his companies the man owns enough planets, moons, and planetoids to form his own interstellar empire."  
  
"Okay, so what, quadrillionaire? Quintillion? 'Really-frakking-huge-number'-aire?"  
  
"I think 'impossibly wealthy' is about as accurate as you can get," Julia said. "And we're dealing with him? What's this about?"  
  
"Apparently the Alliance Government is co-funding a secret research program with Pan-Empyrean as a partner," Robert explained. "Admiral Maran wouldn't divulge details over IU comms or subspace. All I know is that he considers it vital to Alliance security somehow. And according to both our officers on the scene and Mister Hank, someone has stolen a key component of the project."  
  
"And what, they need us to get it back?" Angel asked.  
  
"Maybe. We'll find out more when we get to Solaris and meet Mister Hank himself." Robert tapped another key and brought up, above the table, a holographic display of the city-moon itself. "We also have to study up on Solaris itself. I'm told some areas are dangerous to people without the right neural implants or hardware. Apparently there are even areas of hard vacuum right in the middle of some zones."  
  
"And more." Caterina had her own list up. "I mean, you've got areas with auto-memetic collectives that can overwhelm any normal brain, or hack into a brain with neural hardware. Anyone stepping into an area like that without extensive protection can get their mind wiped or their brain fried."  
  
"This place sounds insanely dangerous," Zack muttered.  
  
"It looks like much of Solaris is safe, though," Leo remarked. "At least from an atmospheric or neurological standpoint. I'll go over the data and see if I can make up any protections. Jarod and I can mark 'no go' areas by the time we get there."  
  
"The Ambassador will give us an info packet to distribute to anyone going down for liberty," Robert said. "Use that to finalize everything. Now, let's move on to the political information…"  
  
  
  
  
After her bridge shift for the day, Caterina finished her meal and went to Science Lab 2 to check up on simulations she was running on local space. Universe S0T5 had unique characteristics due to the unknown cataclysm that had destroyed or displaced the Earth of this universe. Spatial warping effects had spread out for light-years beyond where Earth had been, becoming so intense in the area near Earth that the stars no longer seemed to be in their proper places, and Sol was completely missing. Investigating how this phenomena could affect warp drive was one of many scientific studies she was now pursuing with the dedicated computers in Science Lab 2.  
  
She was taking time to examine the results when the door opened again. She turned, expecting to see another of the science officers coming in to check up on projects, and found instead that it was Lucy heading to one of the terminals. Cat took another minute to check another series of data points before she went over to where Lucy was working. On the screen for her terminal was a series of simulations, all showing negative results on the thermal stresses she had set. “Crystals?” Caterina asked, noticing the structures being examined.  
  
Lucy turned to face Caterina. “Yes,” she said. “I’m still trying to find a crystal that can accept…”  
  
Cat’s eyes widened at the display. “That’s… I’m not sure you’ll find a crystal that can take that much. Maybe dilithium.”  
  
“That didn’t work,” Lucy sighed.  
  
“What about Minbari…”  
  
“It blew up in my face. Almost literally. It’s why Scotty banned me from Machine Shop B for two weeks.” Frustration showed clearly on Lucy’s face. “Dammit, there’s got to be a crystal out there that would work at this. I know there’s one, in fact.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you run an atomic analysis scan on it?” Cat asked.  
  
“Because the old multidevices couldn’t do that without direct access to the crystal, and I didn’t think it’d be appreciated if I dismantled a relic of immense cultural value.”  
  
Realization showed on Caterina’s face. “ _Oh_ ,” she said. “You’re trying to recreate that laser sword you repaired on Gersal, right?”  
  
“Yeah.” Lucy sighed dejectedly. “I’ve been through almost every crystal in our databanks, and even the rest don’t show the results I need to show they’re viable.”  
  
“Have you talked to Dr. Gatiri?”  
  
“The metallurgist specialist? No. Why would I?”  
  
“Because he’s also a minerals and materials expert,” Cat replied. “He might know something.”  
  
“I’ll go see him then, when I can.”  
  
The door slid open again. They turned and saw Meridina enter, wearing her training outfit of a white vest and loose brown pants with brown robe. Lucy sighed and said, “I lost track of time again, didn’t I?”  
  
“No,” Meridina replied with a slight grin. “I merely expected you would and anticipated where you would go. I do admit my concern for this project, however. I fear you may be losing sight of the more important aspects of your training.”  
  
“I’m not, I just… I have a feeling about this. That I’m meant to do this,” Lucy replied.  
  
“Perhaps you are. But I don’t want you to lose sight of the greater truths, Lucy.” Meridina’s grin turned sad. “I fear I may have done you harm. Due to our circumstances much of your training has been on self-defense.”  
  
“And it’s been needed,” Lucy said. “I needed every bit of it to survive the fight with Goras.”  
  
“True. But there is more to your _swevyra_ than fighting. And I think your combat skills have been practiced enough... It is time, I think, to orient your training toward other aspects of our ways.”  
  
Lucy considered that. “I guess.” She logged out of the system and followed Meridina out.  
  
  
  
  
Caterina stepped out of the science lab and made it to the lift before running into Violeta, fresh from a bridge shift. Her girlfriend seemed as excited as Cat had ever seen her before, holding her hand tightly and saying with great exuberance, “I can’t believe it! We’re actually going to Solaris!”  
  
“It’s for business, so I’m not sure I’ll get to go down on liberty,” Caterina said.  
  
“I hope you can, though. I’ve been reading up on their people. They’re a lot like Sirians, I mean, with their acceptance of gene modifications, their lifestyles…”  
  
“Then you should go down and enjoy yourself,” Cat insisted.  
  
“You’re okay with that?” asked Violeta. Her purple eyes and matching purple hair were indicators of her own gene mods. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
That won Cat an affectionate peck on the cheek. “Thank you,” Violeta said.  
  
  
  
  
The training session was exactly what Meridina said it would be, with Lucy and Robert both spending their time standing on their hands trying to control objects. That had ended with neither belly-flopping as they had been wont to do at earlier periods and they were now sitting on the mats, legs crossed, with Meridina leading them into quiet meditation. The only sounds present were the slow, methodical breathing of the three. No words were spoken, no movements made, while they felt out into the wider universe with the power that was a part of them.  
  
All three noticed, wordlessly, that there was something peculiar about their location. Their life force could sense a subtle echo of power in Universe S0T5 that they hadn’t felt elsewhere. As if something fundamental had been changed, or shaped, by an unknown force.  
  
This distraction drew Lucy’s attention for a time. But her thoughts gravitated away from it. She dwelled on the warm light of Meridina and Robert and the life energy of the _Aurora_ ’s crew. They were a small, isolated segment of the Flow of Life and only after months of further training and sensitivity had Lucy been able to sense it. The warmth was refreshing to her very being. She felt peace.  
  
The slip came from Robert at first. His breathing picked up. Lucy almost opened her eyes to look at him, but in the end she didn’t need to. She could sense that he was experiencing visions of what could be, in a way she never really had. Faces, names, she wasn’t immediately familiar with.  
  
“Bad Wolf,” Robert gasped. “ _Bad Wolf_.”  
  
Meridina focused her attention on Robert. Lucy felt her try to reassure him while he shook off the effects of the vision.  
  
Her mind would not quiet now, though. She kept going back to her project. To the crystal that she needed to make it work. This could be a real breakthrough to recreate Swenya’s Blade. And she wanted to. She could still remember how superb the weapon had been. How easy it had been to move with it, the buzz in the air while photons and plasma did the work of metal with the lightness of air.  
  
As those feelings built, frustration came to her. Nothing she tried was working. Nothing. She knew she could make it work if only she had a damn crystal, but she couldn’t find one that worked. Natural, artificial, it didn’t matter. Only the one actually in Swenya’s Blade seemed to work, and she had no idea why. She regretted not taking the damn thing apart to get a look, a good look, at the crystal inside of it.  
  
“Lucy.”  
  
The soft, gentle lilt of Meridina’s voice caused Lucy’s eyes to open. Her hands had balled into fists unconsciously. She could feel the tension inside of her from how agitated she had become.  
  
Meridina was looking at her with something approaching sadness. “It is alright,” she said. “This is not a thing that can be easily rebuilt. My people would have done so by now if it could be done. You mustn't let these setbacks poison your spirit.”  
  
“I… I know.” Lucy felt a little shaken. She drew in a breath and adjusted her position on the mat. “I’m sorry. I won’t let it happen again.”  
  
“That is not what concerns me. It is clear this issue weighs heavily on you.”  
  
“It’s just a little frustration. I’ll live with it.”  
  
“A little frustration can lead to greater problems.” Meridina kept her eyes on Lucy. “Do not hesitate to unburden yourself. Step away from the project for a time. Do other things that reward your efforts and perhaps a solution to your problem will come to you.”  
  
Lucy took in a breath, let it out, and nodded. “Okay. I’ll let the crystal problem go for a while.” She looked to Robert. “And what does ‘Bad Wolf’ mean anyway?”  
  
“If only I knew,” he lamented. He gave her a wan smile. “It looks like we both have some troubles to deal with.”  
  
“Don’t we always?”  
  
Meridina gently cleared her throat, getting their attention. “Let us resume our meditations…”  
  
  
  
  
They were still a day out from Solaris. Robert was in a subspace conference with Admiral Maran concerning the front in S4W8, leaving Julia in charge on the bridge when Locarno stated, “We’re now entering the inner defensive perimeter of Solarian space.”  
  
“Any sign they have us escorted?”  
  
“Maybe.” Caterina looked up from her sensors station. “I’ve got very faint subspace signatures on sensors. It might be ships using the bands of hyperspace that local drives access.”  
  
“But you don’t know for sure?”  
  
“Performance of the local hyperdrives seems to change as you get further Coreward,” Caterina explained. “So their sensor return data is all over the map, figuratively speaking.”  
  
Julia nodded at that. “Well, keep an eye out on those contacts.”  
  
“I will.” Cat sighed. “I was hoping to see if those reports of space fauna were as plentiful as they sounded.”  
  
“I’ve heard of them. One of our standing orders is to keep hunting ships from pursuing them into Alliance space if we detected any near our colonies.”  
  
“Hunters?” Caterina asked, frowning.  
  
This time it was Jarod who answered. “The states further Rimward use the largest space fauna as reactant fuel of some sort. In the same way that whales used to be hunted for oil.”  
  
“That’s wrong!” Cat shouted. “We need to go stop it!"  
  
“I don’t think we’ll be necessary for that, Cat,” Julia said. “We’ve got other things to worry about. Like making sure the first Alliance visit to Solaris goes off without problems.”  
  
“That might be easier said than done,” Jarod sighed. “Solaris has that reputation. I’ve thought about advising we forbid any liberties.”  
  
“I considered it too, but we’ve got crew in need of time away, so we’re holding off final judgement until that analyst comes aboard." Julia shifted in her seat. “In the meantime, everyone keep your eyes open. I don’t want any surprises when we get to Solaris.”  
  
  
  
  
With the night ending and arrival at Solaris coming within twelve hours, Robert returned to his quarters to settle in for the night. He was in the process of removing his uniform jacket when his door chime sounded. He quietly sighed and turned. "Enter."  
  
Instead of Julia or Jarod with unfinished paperwork, Meridina entered. She was in her uniform, telling Robert she had changed since they'd done their daily training. "Everything okay?" he asked.  
  
"I was in a late security briefing with my subordinates and Commander Kane," she replied. Meridina stepped further into the quarters. "I wish to speak with you on another matter, however."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"I am concerned for Lucy."  
  
To that Robert sighed and nodded. "Yeah. So am I. She's been working on those energy blades, lightsabers, whatever she wants to call them, she's been working on that so much I'm afraid she's becoming obsessed."  
  
"I have made some investigations into Solaris," Meridina said. "There is an enclave there operated by a number of organizations much like the Order. I hope that meeting such practitioners may expand our understanding of our _swevyra_."  
  
Robert walked over to his replicator. "Tea, standard, no sugar… wait." He looked back to Meridina.. "Would you like something? I'm not touching coffee this late."  
  
"A tea, perhaps, but I will not detain you for long."  
  
Robert ordered the second tea and the replicator provided both. He handed one cup to Meridina, who sipped at it as he took a larger drink of his own. The taste was soothing to his senses. "Do you think this will help Lucy?"  
  
"I hope it may provide her greater insight. I may also benefit."  
  
Robert nodded and said, "I know you miss the Order."  
  
"I do. But I know this is where I am meant to be. My destiny is here." Meridina sipped again. A tear formed in her eye. "Perhaps part of that destiny will be to learn more about the Flow of Life, about how _swevyra_ interacts with the wider universe."  
  
"From what I’ve seen, your people seem pretty devoted to their mentality on the entire thing." Robert’s observation ended there, as he didn’t see the need to bring up how the Gersallians’ conservatism on the matter had driven the trial Meridina had been put through.  
  
"They are," Meridina agreed. "We know what has worked for us. And our experience with Kohbal and his followers has taught my people that exploring different approaches to _swevyra_ is dangerous. It has become a failing, however. The Dorei have long proven that other beliefs on the nature of this power can exist without leading to darkness. And the Zigonian I met while we rescued Jarod spoke of yet another view. There may be wisdom in looking into these separate paths."  
  
"I can see that." Robert set his empty teacup down. "So I guess this is you asking for liberty?"  
  
"It is. Commander Andreys is quite busy with other things, so I thought it wiser to ask you."  
  
"I'll talk to her about it tomorrow, but I can't promise anything until I know what's going on with why we're here."  
  
"I understand." Meridina finished her own tea. She took the empty cup back to the replicator and allowed it to reclaim the cup. "I will not keep you any longer."  
  
"I'll see you in the morning when Ambassador Fry comes aboard for the briefing."  
  
Meridina nodded in reply and left, leaving Robert to resume his usual end-of-the-day routine.  
  
  
  
  
The command staff was at their stations on the bridge when the moment came the following morning. “We’re coming up on Solaris,” Locarno said. “Bringing us out of warp.”  
  
They all felt the gentle thrum through the decks from the ship drop to sublight velocity. The holo-viewscreen activated to display the sight ahead. A large gas giant was the dominant feature, but even without further magnification, their actual destination was clear. Moving between the _Aurora_ and the gas giant in question was the city-moon Solaris, an orb covered in light. As they drew nearer the stupendous amount of ship traffic around the city-moon became evident. Sublight in-system craft burned in and out, on runs to the various resource mines and facilities in the rest of the system, while smaller pleasure craft and larger spacecraft liners and massive cargo haulers alike lined up on their way to or from the system’s hyperlimit. The amount of traffic was enormous despite Solaris’ relatively small size, easily the equal of Gersal, Thessia, or the most developed Earths in the Alliance.  
  
“Three ships just came out of hyperspace around us,” Caterina reported.  
  
“Solarian warships, Warstar-type.” A light showed on Jarod’s panel. “They’re hailing.”  
  
“Put them on.”  
  
The screen changed to show a man in a blue, authoritative uniform with Solarian insignia. “ _I am Captain Tobias Guangchu_ , _commander of the Warstar_ Lao Kim _. The Sovereignty Star Navy will maintain a defensive perimeter around your ship to ensure there are no incidents while you are a visitor to Solaris. For your safety, please follow all space traffic control directives and keep your vessel’s defensive systems disengaged. Any attempt to raise deflectors or arm weapons could, after all, be taken as hostile intent, and neither of our governments wish for this._ ”  
  
“Of course not,” Robert answered. “And we will, of course, trust that your ships will keep our vessel safe from any attack.”  
  
“ _Of course._ ” Guangchu smiled thinly. Though his name sounded East Asian, he looked more Caucasian and Indian than anything with the darker skin color and the facial features. “ _We must also be informed before your ship launches any craft. For security purposes of course._ ”  
  
“Of course.” Robert didn’t need his enhanced senses to know Guangchu was not happy with this assignment or with the _Aurora_ ’s presence and would be out to make a nuisance of himself. “We will mostly be utilizing transporters as it is.”  
  
“ _So I am aware. Be advised that we are familiar enough with your technology and we know of countermeasures. We will be monitoring your transporter activity closely. Any unauthorized uses of your transporter will prove very fatal to those attempting such a breach of our trust_.”

“Of course. Thank you again for your help, Captain Guangchu. Dale out.” Robert was relieved to see the clearly irritated Solarian commander disappear from the viewscreen. “Let’s make sure to monitor those ships.”  
  
“They don’t want us here,” Julia said. “Or at least he and his superiors don’t.”  
  
They both looked again to the viewer, and to the blade-shaped warships now taking up positions around them. Each was the length of the _Aurora_ , but they were armed to the teeth and Robert darkly suspected even one could overwhelm his ship’s defenses in a fair fight. The message was a clear one: “We don’t want you here, so do exactly as told or we blow you up”.  
  
“We’re receiving an orbital approach vector from System Traffic Control. I’m relaying it to the helm.”  
  
Locarno looked over the data and sighed. “They’re making us wait for a couple of their cargo carriers during our approach.”  
  
“There’s nothing we can do about that. Keep to the approach and let us know as soon as we’re in transporter range. Ambassador Fry will be waiting for us.”  
  
Julia crossed her arms with clear irritation. “I’d like to know just what is the cause of this sort of petty harassment. Is it against us or is this some gesture being made toward someone else, and we’re just the ones stuck in the middle of it?”  
  
“If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll find out,” Robert observed wryly.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.

The command staff from both ships were ready when Robert and Julia escorted Ambassador Fry into the Conference Room. He was a Caucasian man, with his hair in a bowl cut and a fine suit that covered a body that had settled into general stoutness in its shape. “Good day everyone,” he said, smiling, his accent distinctly English. “Melchett Fry, at your service.”  
  
“We should get down to business so we don’t keep Mister Hank waiting,” Robert suggested, quite certain that someone like that wouldn’t appreciate anything less than prompt punctuality. “I don’t suppose you can tell us why we merited such a large escort, or why Traffic Control held up our arrival in orbit to allow so many other ships right away?” The two cargo carriers had become four, joined by a luxury starliner, before the _Aurora_ finally made proper orbit of Solaris.  
  
“Ah, yes.” Fry nodded. “The military escort couldn’t be avoided. The Sovereignty Government only agreed to your arrival on those conditions. And Mister Hank will be paying a fee, I’m told, for the duration of your stay here.”  
  
“Even more reason to get to business.”  
  
“Yes,” Fry said, agreeing with Julia. “As for the delays that System Traffic Control imposed, I suspect that has more to do with Mister Hank himself. While he is enormously influential, there are groups and powers in the Sovereignty who are opposed to him. Petty abuses of power is a way for the authorities to remind everyone of whom is in charge.”  
  
“Speaking of who’s in power…” Julia began.  
  
“President Victoria Sinclair. Her friends get to call her Vick or Vicki.” Fry used his omnitool to display the image of a woman in a fine business suit who, while not pretty, had what could be called handsome features. And there was no mistaking the glint in her eye. “She and Mister Hank were political allies. But politics in the Sovereignty are as treacherous as you might imagine, given the role of the megacorporations here.”  
  
“But not too cutthroat, I hope. Political intrigue and running a state usually don’t mix well,” Jarod pointed out.  
  
“That is where Olympic comes in,” Fry stated. “The Sovereignty’s infrastructure is overseen by an enormously powerful computational intelligence.”  
  
“You mean an AI.”  
  
Fry shook his head at Caterina’s remark. “The Solarians don’t approve of that term. They consider it a slur against machine-based intelligences. ‘Computational Intelligence’ is the appropriate term.”  
  
“Nice, a politically-correct way to talk about computers,” Angel remarked drolly.  
  
“Jarod, make sure our computer protections are fully in place,” Robert said.  
  
“A reasonable precaution, but I suspect that if Olympic wants to hack your systems, it will do so,” Fry remarked. “I don’t imagine it will harm you though. What will harm you is the rest of this moon. Solaris is not a safe place for Humans who have not been extensively modified with implants.”  
  
“So we shouldn’t allow any leaves.”  
  
“There are a few specific zones that you might visit, with only a few simple precautions. What you must understand, Captain, is that Solaris is a melange of subcultures and social organizations, divided by anything from common beliefs to planets of origin for newcomers.”  
  
“You mean things like Chinatown in New York and other cities?” Julia asked.  
  
“Yes. And some of these people keep their environments safe for the unaugmented. Others do not, and the consequences to exposure can be severe.” Fry tapped at his omnitool. “I would hate to deny your crews the experiences of Solaris though, they’re simply _wonderous_ in many ways, and I think that if you keep them in the zones specified they shall be just fine.” The sectors marked by Fry were smaller than had earlier been shown as “safe”, but still showed at least a quarter of the moon’s surface. "Of course, if you go outside of them, you could end up in a state not unlike having your brain replaced with cauliflower."  
  
Barnes snorted out a laugh at that.  
  
Julia started working her own controls. “Anyone going down will have this information loaded into their omnitools. And we’ll put the Transporter Stations on standby just in case we need to pull someone back.”  
  
“A wise decision.” Fry checked the time on his omnitool. “Oh dear, it’s getting rather late, and Mister Hank is due at a Senator’s dinner later. As am I, I must admit.” Fry pumped his chest up a bit at that. “I shall have things to do… but yes, you should go see Mister Hank immediately. He will be waiting for you at Pan-Empyrean’s Main Offices near the Government Block. Is there anything else?”  
  
“Do you know what was stolen, or what this project is about?” Julia asked.  
  
“Oh, heavens no! No, I was not informed of that. The Defense Command has been keeping that information quiet. All I can tell you is that if Mister Hank is sending you on a hunt for it, you may have your work cut out for you.” Fry’s expression shifted, as if he suddenly remembered something and was embarrassed by the fact. “Also, I should mention… you will not be able to transport into Pan-Empyrean. They maintain a constant defensive field to prevent such entries. Transport down to the Alliance Embassy and a skycab will be arranged for you immediately.”  
  
“We’ll be down shortly,” Robert assured him.  
  
“Then I shall return. I have quite a few things to do today.” Without further word, Fry left the room.  
  
“For the moment, I’m holding off on liberty requests,” Robert said to everyone, looking briefly to Meridina who, in reply, nodded in understanding. “Not until I know more about what’s going on. There is something off with this situation.”  
  
“Aye, tell me about it.” Scotty nodded. “They invite us an’ then act like we’ve crashed through th’ front door.”  
  
“Are you sure we should both be going down?” Julia asked. “With Zack and Jarod too? That means almost all of our command officers are away from the ships.”  
  
“We’re the ones that Hank wants to see,” Robert said. “So I’m afraid that’s it. We’re all going down. Nick, you’ll have the bridge.”  
  
“And we’re heading down now?” Zack asked. “Just like that?”  
  
“I want to get this over with,” Robert insisted, standing up. Julia did as well, with Zack and Jarod taking just a moment more to do the same. “You’re all dismissed.”  
  
  
  
  
The Alliance Embassy was on the top floors of one of the many massive arcology structures. The lower floors were office spaces and residential blocks, with a layer of offices and housing for diplomats from smaller world-based governments. The upper floors contained everything from a sizable cafeteria to opulent, elaborate housing for the embassy personnel, with the uppermost floor being that of the current Ambassador.  
  
In the middle floors of the embassy portion was the docking bay for the embassy’s various vehicles. The craft that emerged was the flying equivalent of a limousine, with a spacious back area that seated the four officers from _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ in luxury.  
  
None of them took the time to enjoy the complimentary drinks in the back, or any other luxury feature. Everyone was looking out the windows at the sight of Solaris. The city-moon’s arcologies and skyscrapers rose up to and even beyond the atmosphere. Those that did pierce into space were referred to as "starscrapers", or so their driver informed them. Massive displays adorned the sides of buildings, showing advertisements for various consumer products or companies in general. “Normally ya can’t see the ‘smartvertisements’,” their driver said with his New York accent. “Ya need data implants like the rest of ‘em. But the limo’s equipped to pick up their datastreams and display ’em on the windows’ interior.”  
  
“Interesting.”  
  
Julia was watching the number of massive structures that flew by. Solaris was, at least here, an amazing sight to behold, colorful and bright and opulent. “So people live in these buildings?”  
  
“A lot of ‘em, yeah.” The craft flew above a large plate structure joined by numerous walkways to several nearby buildings Smaller buildings were on the plate, which included a lot for aircars. “They got stuff like that down there for shoppin’. The higher up you are, the fancier the shops and restaurants. Although some are built into the arcologies and skyscrapers themselves. Again, the higher they are, the more classy. Especially around the Government Block. We’re enterin’ San Dorado Block now, so we’ll be arrivin’ any minute.”  
  
The skylimo continued on its way through its traffic lane, other similar vehicles moving alongside or above or below it. It banked right around a long building, flying over a large garden courtyard attached to said building, and flew on toward a tall structure ahead. Said structure stood out somewhat compared to the other structures of Solaris. Their look had been sharp, angled, very much “space age” to the 21st Century aesthetics the four had lived with. The building ahead looked like it could fit into Manhattan’s skyline if it wasn’t so tall. “PAN-EMPYREAN” was arranged in bright lighting along the front. A massive, stylized infinity symbol with wings was arrayed further below, in a solid section with no windows. Various sky vehicles were flying around it, coming or going from the vehicle bays. Their craft flew into an opening in the front and entered an internal parking lot. The driver flew up a level and then sought out, with success, an opening near the entrance to the offices themselves. “I’ll be waitin’ for you,” he reminded the four as they got out of the limo.  
  
“Well, here we go,” Robert said, trying to keep confidence in his voice. “It’s time to see the illustrious Mister Hank.”  
  
  
  
  
The inside of Pan-Empyrean was just as opulent as the outside. Upon their entry into the main lobby through the entrance, Robert and the others were in the middle of material grandeur. The vaulting ceiling was bright with warm light created by electric chandeliers that glittered with gold color. Fine sculptures of marble lined the walls, depicting what looked to be mythological figures. Corridors to right and left led off to office spaces while a number of elevator doors were kept together on the far wall of the lobby, flanked by further corridors. Automated drones moved about on anti-grav power, keeping the fine floor and the Pan-Empyrean logo set into it as reflective as a mirror.  
  
A central desk ahead of them was manned by uniformed people, Humans of stature and strength, their gray security uniforms emblazoned with the winged infinity symbol insignia of Pan-Empyrean. One of them, a dark-skinned woman with close-cut black hair, watched them intently as they stepped up. Before Robert could speak she said, “Captain Dale from the _Aurora_ , yes?”  
  
“Yes,” he replied. “With officers.”  
  
“You are on time. Bishop.” She looked to an older-looking guard beside her. “The escort is yours.”  
  
“Follow me, sirs, ma’am,” Bishop said. The guard led them away from the desk and through the lobby toward what were obviously elevator or lift doors. Men and women in suits milled about them, some looking like they weren’t paying the slightest attention to their surroundings. A well-dressed Zigonian stepped off of a lift as they came up. Bishop kept them from entering it, allowing a short gray alien in a dark hat, a top hat at that, to step in. “He looks like an Asgard,” Julia said.  
  
“That was an Apexei,” Bishop informed them. “Be careful around them. They’re all powerful psions. They tend to look down on Humans of any kind as backward apes.” He sneered. “Even though we’re the only thing between the little gray bastards and Byzon’s armies.”  
  
“Byzon?” Zack asked.  
  
Bishop eyed him as if he wasn’t sure Zack was screwing with him or serious. Realization dawned after a moment. “Right, you’re not from around here. Imperator Byzon, the Bragulans’ high-and-mighty ruler.”  
  
“Oh, right. The bear aliens.”  
  
Another lift ahead opened. This one had a unique design around its latinum-plated doors that marked it as special. Once they were inside it refused to move until Bishop gave it a full identification scan from his retina and hand. Once it blipped green the elevator began to move upward. “Mister Hank’s waiting in his office, but I can’t guarantee he’ll call you in right away. He’s a very busy man.”  
  
“He’s got a company big enough to be its own interstellar state,” Julia observed. “So we’re not surprised.”  
  
Bishop nodded and said nothing more.  
  
When the lift stopped, they stepped out into an antechamber with a luscious blue carpet. About ten meters ahead was a pair of big wooden doors, a fine dark tan in color like mahogany, with a desk beside it where a lightly-tanned young woman sat. She had no computer display in front of her and seemed to be staring toward the lift. To either side of the entrance were fine leather chairs. “Welcome to Mister Hank’s office,” the young woman said. “My name is Ariadne and I am Mister Hank’s secretary. You would be Captain Dale and party?”  
  
“We are, yes,” Robert replied.  
  
Ariadne seemed to be looking at something else for a moment before her brown eyes focused on them again. “Mister Hank is in a hypercomm conference meeting right now and can’t be disturbed. Please have a seat and I will inform you when he is ready to see you.”  
  
With nothing else to do, the four took seats, Robert and Julia on one side of the room and Zack and Jarod on the other. Zack looked around. “I don’t suppose there are any magazines…?”  
  
“You’re probably expected to load publications into a neural implant,” Jarod replied.  
  
“Indeed,” Ariadne said. “I do apologize for the inconvenience. We offer complimentary news access compatible with M4P2-standard omnitools, you may log in as you desire.”  
  
Jarod nodded and turned on his omnitool. At first the others thought he was going to look up news sites as Ariadne had suggested. Zack noticed he had the scanner running instead. "What's up?"  
  
"I was just curious about something. About this building. The mass numbers don't add up."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that the sensor returns I'm getting aren't consistent with normal matter." He looked at the screen over his left forearm intently. "It's hard-light, actually."  
  
"What's hard-light?" Julia asked.  
  
Before Jarod could reply, Ariadne said, "The entire building."  
  
"The _entire building._ " Robert's voice betrayed his shock. "But the power requirements, the… the control issues…"  
  
"Why would someone make a hard-light building?" Julia asked aloud. "The kind of generators you'd need to project the hard-light, the power to keep it going, it's got to cost far more than any building can be worth."  
  
"You'll have to answer Mister Hank," Ariadne stated. "He's ready to see you now."  
  
They stood up and walked to the doors, which swung open for them. The fine carpet continued inside, into the office.  
  
The office was huge. It was easily the size of a large house, with winding stairs along either side leading to a second level. Massive windows, or perhaps viewscreens, looked out at the Solarian skyline and the tall starscrapers around Pan-Empyrean, where sky-vehicles continued to make their way through the air in streams of semi-organized traffic. While the second level wasn't visible, the first had a thirty foot long conference table of fine amber-shaded wood to their right, while to their left were a number of large leather-clad chairs around wooden tables with the same amber shade. One of the tables still had a tray upon it with a bottle, closed, and fine glasses. On wall spaces beside the door were paintings of the highest caliber. "A Rembrandt," Jarod said quietly, looking at one. " _Belshazzar's Feast_ ". He looked to the other side of the door, this painting depicting a nude woman sitting and having her feet tended to by a fully-clothed figure. " _Bathsheba at Her Bath_ ".  
  
Further into the room, between the windows on either side, were great hutches and bookshelves, the former filled with even more bottles and collections of beautiful handcrafted drinking glasses, the latter with leather-bound books. The names and titles they saw on the spines as they walked along were often in gold: Hobbes, Locke, Dickens, Verne, Stevenson, Tolkein, Poe, Conan Doyle, with even older tomes that had names rendered in Latin. The quartet walked along and Jarod continued to note further art works along the walls. " _Starry Night_ by van Gogh. _Sorrow_ , Van Gogh. I see Titian, da Vinci, Tintoretto…" Jarod glanced down at his omnitool. "The materials are right…"  
  
Julia realized where he was going with this. "Are these originals, Jarod?"  
  
It wasn't Jarod who answered with, "I should hope so, given the amount of money I paid for them."  
  
Ahead of them, behind a great desk of the same amber color as the tables now behind them, was Mr. Hank himself. Sidney Hank was in a business jacket much like the image they'd seen before. In person he exuded a peculiar, friendly warmth, but there was a look in his eyes that belied general friendliness. This was a man used to power, and used to it for a very, very long time.  
  
"Quite a number of Rembrandts here, and is that a de Bray?" Jarod motioned to a painting on the right side of the room, to Hank's left.  
  
"It is."  
  
Jarod continued to look around. "Vermeer, Hals… I can see you're a fan of the Dutch Golden Age."  
  
Hank's lips formed a slight grin. "There's something appealing about the way the Dutch artists of that age captured the mundane, everyday facets of life."  
  
"And they're originals," Jarod said.  
  
"I would think they'd be in museums," Zack said. "I mean, aren't paintings like this usually kept in museums?"  
  
"That can… depend, Commander." Hank motioned to four prepared chairs of rich, burgundy-colored leather. He sank back into his own high-backed office chair, this one of rich blue color, with the insignia of Pan-Empyrean at the top above his head. "Please, Captain, Commanders, sit. It's good to see you." He turned slightly to his right, where a tray held a glass decanter and a caramel-colored liquid inside. He poured five glasses. "Help yourselves. This is Parthegon brandy, from the Chardonne. They refuse to bottle anything that hasn't been in an oak cask for at least ten years."  
  
With some trepidation, they took the offered drinks. Zack reached last and had an unhappy look on his face. Hank smiled gently and extended a hand to him. "I can provide you a detoxicant, Commander. I don't wish you to feel uncomfortable given the business we have to discuss."  
  
"That's a generous offer, but that's not…" Zack stopped and sighed. He shook his head. "Thank you for the offer."  
  
"It can take a strong man to deal with his flaws directly," Hank noted. "I won't bother you with a toast. Please, drink up."  
  
They all did. The taste was strong, but it was at least certainly more than just alcohol, and the taste was at least appealing.  
  
As soon as he put his glass down, Robert said, "Admiral Maran refused to speak about what's going on, and Ambassador Fry doesn't seem to know."  
  
"Yes. Secrecy can be vital in these matters. Especially on Solaris and _especially_ involving our current delicate relations with your Alliance." Hank kept himself in a comfortable pose in his chair, keeping his glass of brandy at hand. After speaking he sipped at it and openly savored the taste.  
  
"That Warstar commander wasn't happy to have us," Julia said. "And the way they jerked us around on the approach…"  
  
"President Sinclair was sending me a message, reminding me of her disapproval to inviting you here. A message that the military was happy to join in with, I imagine." Hank's smile nearly turned into a smirk. "When you get to a position like mine, governments start to get uneasy. Or, rather, the people serving as government. I am still deciding on whether I'm going to let the gesture pass or reply with one of my own."  
  
"Mending bridges may help us with the investigation," Robert proposed. "This technology theft might require us to get help from the government."  
  
To that, Hank snorted out a laugh. "Perhaps in another state, Captain Dale. But this is Solaris. I don't trust the Sovereignty government any more than I trust my competitors, few as they are. I have resources that will serve just as well."  
  
"If you do, why call us?"  
  
"Because it is your Alliance's project, Commander Carrey. And because I think having you involved will be an asset to the investigation." Hank put his hands together on the table. "To steal from my lab requires one of two things: resources or someone on the inside. And even the latter may not be enough without the former. My security measures are too much for a thief acting on their own, even a thief inside of Pan-Empyrean. But if I investigate alone and the thieves still have someone inside my company, they may be forewarned. So it's best to get someone from the outside."  
  
"What records do you have of the theft?" Jarod asked.  
  
Hank looked to his left for a moment. A holographic screen popped into existence between the desk and the wall. The laboratory in question had a number of white-suited individuals moving about on whatever business they had. The far wall of the image suddenly suddenly seemed to partly fade away, creating a gap. Armed beings came in with weapons raised. The lab workers all ran for cover or immediately threw their hands up. "It looks like a strike team of at least six people," Jarod observed, even as two of them disappeared from the screen. After thirty seconds they came back with a dark, boxy object now on the back of one of them. They all withdrew through the hole in the wall, which shortly reassembled itself.  
  
"They disrupted the hard-light of the wall," Julia said. "You've got safety backups for your structure, right?"  
  
"Of course. They were overpowered locally. The devices to do so aren't unknown in Solaris. Photon disruptors aren't cheap, however, and are very bulky."  
  
"And a team of that size and training isn't cheap either," Jarod noted.  
  
Robert nodded. "I see your point then. What did they steal?"  
  
"A vital component to the project we're developing with the Alliance," Hank answered. "Your Defense Command has spared no expense in getting my people what they needed to succeed in this."  
  
"What kind of project is this?" Julia asked.  
  
To that, Hank shook his head. "I'm afraid, Commander, that I can't share that detail with you. Not by my choice, but at the behest of your superiors."  
  
"So you want us to find something you can't say a word about?" Zack asked.  
  
"I'm under no illusion that it will be easy, Commander Carrey. But given the record of your accomplishments together, I'm confident you'll find our missing component."  
  
"What if we find it's likely been moved off-world?" Julia asked. "Or even if we find it here, I can't imagine the Sovereignty will allow us to go after it with our Marines."  
  
"No, they wouldn't. That's why I'm going to give you the call number for one of my employees, Jason Chandra. Mister Chandra is in charge of my special security squad, the Wild Geese. You find him a target, he'll take it down, even if it's offworld." Hank savored another drink before continuing. "But I suspect it hasn't left yet. My people in Solarian security have been very _thorough_ in checking outgoing ships. No… I suspect that the thieves are lying low for a while, until we become convinced they've escaped the moon. Then they'll move. So we still have time."  
  
"Don't you have investigators on your payroll?" asked Julia. Her voice didn't betray the suspicions behind the question.  
  
"It's likely any of my people will get noticed, especially if this was an inside job." Hank gestured to them. "You, on the other hand, are unknown to the Solarian underworld. Don't take your uniforms and you'll pass for baseliners easily."  
  
"And just hope we don't have to go into one of the zones of Solaris where baseline Humans can't go?" Robert asked.  
  
"I can make arrangements if such comes up. I suspect they'll stick to the green zones, though. Especially if there is any offworld element to the crew."  
  
Robert nodded at that. "Do we have anything to go on? The video doesn't give us physical descriptions. Did your internal sensors get anything from them? Or do you know what their escape craft looked like?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do. And I will provide you with that imagery as well."  
  
"I can't imagine they'll keep a getaway car, especially if they know they were being recorded."  
  
"Actually, that is our one advantage, Commander Andreys." Hank took another sip of his brandy. "They used an attack program with a cyber-memetic repeating algorithm code on my building's security when they invaded. A normal CI would have been completely sidelined by the attack program. Thankfully, Dionysus is _not_ a normal CI, and he was able to preserve imagery and recordings that our thieves understandably believed to be destroyed."  
  
"There's that, at least," Jarod mused. "If you give me all of the relevant data on the break-in, I can start analyzing it as soon as I'm back on the _Aurora_."  
  
Hank responded by running his hand over a hard-light keyboard that popped up on his desk. Jarod's omnitool flashed to life again with a blinking button. He pressed it. "That's all of our data on the break-in and the relevant transponder code for the gear that was stolen. The short-range transmitter is built into the container and works only on this subchannel." Hank made a show of checking his watch. "I'm afraid I must see you off now. I have a board meeting to get to and then a dinner invitation I must fulfill. Feel free to send any new information you receive to Ariadne or Mister Chandra."  
  
It was clear that the session was over and no more questions would be answered. They stood and walked out.  
  
  
  
  
The Pan-Empyrean building disappeared around the corner of another tall arcology before Jarod said, "There's something more to this."  
  
"It seems that way," Robert agreed. "I can't believe Maran would send us in blind like this."  
  
"He must not have a choice." Julia looked out of the window at the passing sight of Solaris.  
  
"Jarod, who do you need to help you with this?"  
  
He spent only a moment considering Robert's question before replying, "Barnes, maybe, or Scotty, to see what they think about the technical issues."  
  
"I'll have them meet you in Science Lab 1 once we beam back. Keep me informed."  
  
"I'll let you know as soon as we find something," Jarod promised.  
  
  
  
  
After returning to the ship and handling various command issues, Robert went to the Lookout for an early dinner meal. Hargert's meal for the evening was grilled chicken smoked with mesquite and cut for various uses - salads, sandwiches, or by itself - with a variety of vegetable sides.  
  
While picking at his dinner, Robert watched Solaris through the window. They were over one of the highest-built zones on the moon, with starscraper structures so high that they breached the atmosphere and became space stations at their apex. The engineering knowledge needed to make such structures placed Solaris among the most advanced societies in the entire Multiverse. He couldn't think of another planet that looked like this. _Maybe it's because the Asari and Gersallians don't see the need in 'starscraper' buildings?_ he mused.  
  
"Any seats taken?"  
  
Robert looked up to see Zack carrying his own plates. He shook his head, prompting Zack to sit down. "I've never seen anything like it," Zack admitted.  
  
"Maybe they felt the need to 'grow tall', so to speak," Robert said. "They don't have room to expand through colonization anymore. This area of space has been settled for too long."  
  
"So they just keep building bigger and bigger buildings until you can't tell where the buildings end and the space stations begin." Zack noted one particularly large, bulbous structure. "Isn't that the main space elevator?"  
  
"It is. The Sovereignty Spire, where their government bureaucracy and Senate are located."  
  
"It's times like these that I understand Cat," Zack said while absentmindedly using his fork to gather up a bite from his chicken salad. "I wasn't out here for the exploration stuff, but when you see something like this, you can't help but wonder about it."  
  
"I know." Robert took a small bite of chicken sandwich. Once he finished swallowing he said, "It looks like the four of us have been picked for this little investigation."  
  
"I wonder about that, actually. Why us specifically? Any crew could have done this. I mean, why not send out Madeleine Laurent? She's got a good crew on the _Challenger_. Or Ming Li Chung, I hear she's doing real well on the _Shenzhou_." Zack held up his fork with another bite on it. "I mean, if they're so worried about a military ship here, the _Discovery_ -class ships are a lot less threatening than we are."  
  
"And that's assuming they want one of ours, from the Facility days," Robert pointed out.  
  
"I know, but I honestly don't know many captains in the Alliance service very well," Zack replied.  
  
"Right." Robert took the time to enjoy another bite, as did Zack. After swallowing and taking a drink from his tea, Robert said, "Well, Meridina wants to go down anyway. She wants to take Lucy to meet people."  
  
"More training with the life power stuff?"  
  
"Yeah. For Lucy."  
  
"Ah." Zack gave him a curious look. "But not you?"  
  
"Well, I am several months behind her." Robert shrugged. "And I get the feeling that it's something specific to Lucy that needs addressing."  
  
"Right. Of course, that might interfere in the invest…"  
  
Before Zack could finish Robert's omnitool lit up. He tapped the blinking blue light over the back of his left hand. "Dale here."  
  
" _Sir, we've been going over the data Mister Hank provided. I think we've found something_ ," said Jarod.  
  
Robert answered, "We're on our way". He took a final bite of his mostly-finished meal and stood to leave.  
  
Zack eyed his own unfinished meal and sighed before standing up to follow.  
  
  
  
  
Science Lab 1's speciality was in the field of analysis of computer data and computer sciences in general. Robert had long learned that this encompassed a wide variety of items, from analyzing records to examining alien computer databases and hardware.  
  
Now the main holographic viewer in the middle of the Lab was set to show the escape vehicle from the attack on Pan-Empyrean's labs. Jarod had the image zoomed in, showing the sleek nature of what Robert couldn't stop thinking of as a flying car. Beside Jarod Barnes was looking at the image as well. Meridina and Scotty were behind them and Julia was to the side. "Anti-gravs that powerful shudnae be hard t' trace," said the elder engineer. "If ye have th' graviton profile an' other points of data down."  
  
"The problem is that these things are pretty widespread," Barnes added. "Solarian LARCs are the most common kind of anti-grav vehicle on the entire moon."  
  
"But do they have their own individual signatures or patterns?" Meridina asked. "Individual enough for us to track?"  
  
"Not enough," Jarod replied. "From what I've seen it doesn't vary in individual models, only model types. Every other model like this on Solaris would give roughly the same profile. You'd have to be within a few meters, maybe ten or twelve at most, to detect any variation unique to a particular machine."  
  
"Do we have that profile?" Robert asked him. "In the records?"  
  
Jarod took a few moments to check. "Yes, I think we do."  
  
"So we can identify it if we get close enough," Robert noted.  
  
"That will be the tricky part. We can't even search most of the moon given the environmental hazards," Jarod pointed out.  
  
"Yeah. These people have all those frakking freaky stuff that can fry our brains."  
  
"Any luck coming up with protections?" Zack asked.  
  
"I've talked with Leo but…" He shrugged. "Unless you go in with a full spacesuit? I'm not sure. Some of their tech makes the idea of subliminal messaging look like it's a brick thrown into a greenhouse. I mean, it's like epilepsy, just that they've found things any Human is vulnerable to. I'm not sure we can protect against everything. Maybe a few things, if someone's wearing headgear or something."  
  
"Let's save that for later, if we need it," Robert said. "Do you think there's any way to track where the car went?"  
  
"Their sensor nets generally don't record to the level needed to pick out this vehicle from others of its type," Jarod said.  
  
"Maybe not. But if you can look for cars of a similar kind, cross-reference the times…" Zack let his suggestion hang in the air for a moment. "I mean, it'll narrow things down at least, right?"  
  
Barnes nodded at Zack. "It's a damned good suggestion."  
  
"Right." Jarod changed the system. "Let me see if Hank's data included anything we could use…. Ah, there we go. It looks like he's got an extensive sensor network around his complex. I'm going over the record now, let's see what pops up."  
  
The display showed a general top-level view of Solaris, with the Pan-Empyrean structure in the middle. A number of small red dots appeared, but only one was in the precise position off of Pan-Empyrean to be their suspect. The vehicle began to move away. It followed one traffic lane, then a second, skirting the Government Block. It passed through a built up zone, the Farbanti Block, and moved into the next area, where it merged into a larger traffic pattern that already included several dots.  
  
"Dammit." Robert looked at Jarod. "Can we identify it in that mess?"  
  
"I running an algorithm to try and sort through the contacts." A few of the red dots lit up and move on. One went into a zone called Ozone Heights. A second descended into the lower levels before it disappeared abruptly. The third split off and entered an area listed only as "the Sprawl".  
  
"Three possibilities," Julia murmured.  
  
"That means three teams," Robert said. "And we'll want to blend in. This should look like ordinary leave."  
  
"I will go to the Sprawl with Lucy," Meridina said. "It is where the enclave I wish to visit is located. To an observer it will seem I am there to pursue my own purpose."  
  
"Jarod, I heard Ensign Arterria wants to take liberty planetside?"  
  
Jarod nodded in reply. It was Julia who said, "And I think Cat and Angel will be going as well."  
  
"Well, Ozone Heights should be safe enough," Robert said.  
  
"Which leaves the lower levels." Robert thought that would prove the most dangerous. "What do you think made it disappear like that?"  
  
"The most likely explanation is that it reached the lower edge of Hanks' nearest scanner," Jarod said. "From what I can tell, it was right at the extent of its range. But another possibility is that it entered an emission-shielded area, maybe a parking lot."  
  
"At five hundred meters above the ground?" After a moment of contemplation, Barnes added, "Or whatever counts for the ground on Solaris."  
  
"I'm not sure Solaris has a ground level or 'sea level' as we commonly think of them," Jarod murmured. "But either way, yes. Solaris has a patchwork of walkways and mid-air platforms and bridges suspended between its skyscrapers and starscrapers, all the way to just a few meters off the ground, so any such bridge or inter-building connecting structure could house a lot for the vehicle, or even one of the nearby buildings. Honestly, I think it's our hardest search of them all."  
  
"That's why I'll go," Robert said. "Maybe I can sense where to take us."  
  
"I'll go with you, then, and watch your back," said Zack.  
  
Jarod nodded. "And I'll go."  
  
"And I will stay behind and run the ship, as usual," Julia remarked dryly.  
  
Robert almost remarked that's what she did best, but he stopped himself at the thought it might not be an appreciated sentiment. "Get the liberty requests completed, then, and we'll head out in the morning after breakfast. I'll let Hank know what we found."  
  
"One last thing, actually. It's something you should all see." Jarod started tapping keys. All of the prior displayed went away and were replaced by the image of the Pan-Empyrean structure. A diagram slid to the side, showing the building's exact dimensions as viewed from the outside. On the other side showed scan results from Jarod's omnitool once they were inside. "I got this from my passive scans while we were visiting Mr. Hank. Notice anything?"  
  
At first, nobody quite did. Scotty was the first to do so. "Well, I'll be… th' numbers dinnae match. They're all wrong."  
  
"Yeah." Barnes nodded. Surprise was showing on his face. "According to your omnitool, the inside of the building is bigger than the exterior allows for."  
  
As realization dawned on the others, Jarod tapped keys and brought up a pair of scan results. "I had to do a very careful scan to detect the pattern, but it fits."  
  
"The Pan-Empyrean Building is bigger on the inside," Meridina said. "Like a Darglan structure."  
  
Jarod nodded. "Exactly. He's got a dimensionally-transcendental field running."  
  
"What the hell, why didn't we get briefed on this?" Zack asked. "If the Solarians have DTF, what else do they have?"  
  
"Actually, that's another curious part. From what I can see, they _don't_." Jarod gestured to a scan result of the moon that he brought up. "No other DTFs are evident. Just the Pan-Empyrean building."  
  
"Given the nature of the Sovereignty's political and economic system, it's possible that only Hank actually has the technology," Julia pointed out. "But the building didn't seem that big. How much extra space is it giving him?  
  
Jarod replied, "Nothing to the extent of the Darglan DTFs we've seen in use, which is why we didn't pick it up on sensors until we were in orbit. In fact, the building's only about ten percent larger on the inside than the outside."  
  
"That's just a frakking waste," Barnes groused. "Even a ten percent DTF requires a lot of Goddamned energy. It's more efficient to go for at least a fifty percent level, if not a full doubling of interior size. If he doesn't need something like that, why bother with the expense? Why not just plan a few more floors or something?"  
  
Robert and Julia exchanged glances. "Actually, I can think of the reason why," Robert said.  
  
"Yeah." Julia nodded. "It's to show that he can."  
  
"Just like all of those paintings in his office," Jarod agreed. "And those books. Mister Hank likes to let people know just how much wealth and power he wields. And I think we should be really careful in dealing with him."  
  
"Yes," agreed Meridina.  
  
To that Robert's response was the obvious pledge of "We will be."  
  
  
  
  
Meridina found Lucy in her quarters studying the scans she'd taken of Swenya's Blade with her omnitool. She was off-duty and wearing a baggy tank top and dark blue skirt that reflected she'd had no thought of visitors coming by. "There's something about that crystal," she said to Meridina. "I mean, even without the intensive scans, basic analysis shows…" She stopped herself at seeing Meridina's expression and sensing her feelings. "I know. I should let it go. But it's just… it's this puzzle I want to figure out, gnawing at the back of my brain like some… some… gnawing gribbly little monster." When Meridina said nothing further Lucy sighed and shut down the monitor. "I'm becoming obsessed with this thing."  
  
"There is no harm in what you aspire to, only in how you get there," Meridina answered. "I am being sent down tomorrow as part of our current mission to Solaris. We will be going into the Sprawl to scan for a vehicle."  
  
"You sense, I scan?" Lucy asked.  
  
"I suppose. Although I have my own plans for our visit. There is an enclave in the Sprawl where a number of those who tap their _swevyra_ meet and exchange their beliefs and knowledge. I believe a visit to this place may be of great assistance to you."  
  
"For learning more about my life energy outside of how to fight with it."  
  
"Yes." Meridina went over to one of the extra chairs and sat down to face Lucy. She, in turn, left the chair at her desk and went to the small couch, sitting at the corner and propping her bare feet up on the coffee table. "I would be remiss if I did not balance your training."  
  
"How does this work in the Order of Swenya?" Lucy asked. "I mean, I thought field _swevyra'se_ \- knights - _would_ focus on combat arts because they're the most likely to fight, just as healers focus on healing. And general users try everything?"  
  
"Yes, we do spend some time on combat arts," Meridina said. "But even a field _swevyra'se_ needs to have wider education. Too much focus on combat can undermine emotional control. It can lead to enjoyment of the power as a way to counter the fear. That is a path to darkness that few ever return from."  
  
"And you don't want me to go that way." Lucy nodded. She'd felt darkness a couple of times. She knew it was wrong and she didn't want anything to do with it. But she could remember how that power felt too. If she was in a bad place emotionally, or desperate like she had been when fighting that Changeling on 33LA, Lucy could give in.  
  
Meridina nodded. "I do not wish for you to go through what I did, or for you to become like Dralan Olati… or _Mastrash_ Goras."  
  
"He was a good man, wasn't he?"  
  
"I believe so. He and my father were close from the time they were initiates. He fought in the wars with the Coserians and the Tresalians to protect our people, and he saved thousands from enslavement or murder. I suspect that Goras himself may have never realized he could one day fall." Meridina turned thoughtful. "My mother never quite liked him. She felt he had too much pride. Maybe she knew better than we did that pride could take him."  
  
"Maybe if the Multiversal age never started, he would never have fallen."  
  
"Perhaps, perhaps not. It was his choice in the end to listen to his pride and distrust. I know I am not above some of those emotions that lead to darkness."  
  
"And I'm not either. I still remember that Turian we saw on the Citadel, the one that was beating up that poor Quarian. The things he said, they…" Lucy went deep into thought for a moment as emotions swelled inside her. Her jaw clenched as old, painful memories surfaced. "...they reminded me of things people had said about me growing up. Of things that son of a bitch Duffy said. The things his son would say while he… while he tortured me." Lucy's voice took on a hollow quality. The painful memories made her feel like she was about to choke. Her eyes teared up.  
  
Meridina left the chair and sat on the couch beside Lucy. Lucy accepted her offered hand and could feel the warmth, both physical and through their life energies, that came from her teacher. Meridina said nothing, either verbally or through her mind. She didn't need to.  
  
The pain in Lucy's blue eyes receded quietly. "Thank you," she said to Meridina. "I'm okay. As I was saying… I understand what you mean. If you think this excursion will help, I'm more than ready for it."  
  
"Then we will go in the morning. 0900."  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
  
  
  
Julia had the Delgados and Ensign Arterria meet her in her office on Deck 4. "So my liberty is approved?" Violeta asked.  
  
"Liberty for all three of you. Conditional on doing the scans we require in the marked area." Julia used her omnitool display to show them the area in question. "It's in a region called Ozone Heights."  
  
"And if we find the car, we…?"  
  
"You call me," Julia answered Angel. "And then I call Mister Hank's security man and his team handles the situation."  
  
"Huh." Angel gave Caterina a look. "It sounds dangerous. And we just did a super-dangerous field mission."  
  
"Yeah, but it's just some scans."  
  
"So was the last mission."  
  
"I'll still go," Caterina said to Julia. Her hand was gripping Violeta's. "Violeta wants to see Solaris, and I do too. I'll keep my scanner active while I'm down there."  
  
"I guess I"m going too," Angel sighed. "But if I see one damned shapeshifting monster…" She let the sentence trail off.  
  
"Glad to hear it," said Julia. "We're all beaming down around 0900, or rather you're all doing it while I stay up here and mind the ship."  
  
"Why are we beaming down together?" Violeta asked.  
  
"Because the Solarians have transport-jammers up," Julia answered. "We can only beam down to the Embassy. You'll be taking local transportation to your specific search areas, or rather leave areas." Julia smirked. "I suspect you three will enjoy yours the most. Meridina and Lucy are heading for something called the Sprawl and Robert, Zack, and Jarod are off to one of the lowest levels."  
  
"So, 0900 it is. We get up, we eat breakfast, we go down." Angel made a show of checking the time. "And since it's already almost 2300, I'm off to bed. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Julia waited patiently for everyone to file out before she did as well.  
  
  
  
  
The time on Robert's display flashed 0140 when the tone woke him up. He remained groggy for a moment while his thoughts formed enough to reach for the control key to activate the comm. "Dale here," he said, trying not to grumble at being interrupted in his sleep.  
  
" _Bridge here, sir. We're picking up a signal from Solaris, sir. It's… well… it seems to be the Solarian President_."  
  
" _What?_ " Robert blinked and tried to force his sleepy brain into gear. "Can you confirm that?"  
  
" _The transmission is coming from the Presidential Palace, sir. And our systems confirm its her voiceprint._ "  
  
"Alright." Robert yawned and reached for his nightrobe. "Give me about ten seconds to look presentable and put her through."  
  
He stood and pulled the robe on over his pajamas, grateful that he'd gotten back in the habit of wearing them after his relationship with Angel ended. The last thing he needed was to be a bathrobe slip away from being naked when speaking to a Head of State.  
  
The woman who appeared on the screen was indeed Victoria Sinclair, President of the United Solarian Sovereignty. Behind her the windows showed the lit-up skyline after nightfall in that area of the moon, much as the star no longer quite shined outside of Robert's window. " _Captain Dale_ ," she said. " _I seem to have woken you up. I suppose you are operating a few hours ahead of us._ "  
  
"We use the standard Earth 24 hour day," Robert answered.  
  
" _Ah. Solaris uses a twenty-five hour day. I am just about to retire for the evening myself._ " The President kept a serene smile on her face. " _I know you must have your own duties to attend to, but I would like the chance to meet you, Captain. Would you mind letting me entertain you for breakfast in, oh, nine or so hours? An informal affair, I assure you._ "  
  
Robert immediately knew he had no choice. You didn't turn down an offer like that without severe diplomatic consequences. And regardless of what Sidney Hank had said, he still held out hope for at least some official assistance in their investigation, or at least perhaps a loosening of the restrictions the government had on his ship. Spurning a meeting would send entirely the wrong signal.  
  
Of course, if he went, it also meant he couldn't go down to the lower levels with Zack and Jarod.  
  
A small part of him wondered, with more paranoia than sense, if that was Sinclair's purpose.  
  
He pushed that thought away and answered, "I would be honored, Madame President."  
  
" _Good. I look forward to meeting you in person, Captain. Sleep well_." She disappeared from the screen.  
  
Robert groaned and pulled off the robe. As he laid down he made the decision not to bother anyone with the change in plans until the morning. They all needed their sleep. He only hoped they would sleep without interruption, unlike him.  
  
  
  
"Well, I guess that explains you not picking up any breakfast," Julia said.  
  
Robert nodded from his seat across from Julia in the Lookout. Zack was to his left and Jarod to his right. Everyone had a delicious-looking breakfast meal made up of ham omelettes, cereal, oranges, and strips of bacon with sausages. Robert had only a plate of the last items to nibble on until he was due for the breakfast with the President.  
  
"I could possibly join you when I'm done," he said to them. "But I have no idea how long this meal will take, and I have to beam down shortly to consult Ambassador Fry before I head to the Presidential Palace. I don't think he's going to be happy about this."  
  
"But it's a done deal." Jarod looked across the table at Zack, currently chewing on his orange. "Looks like it's just us."  
  
Zack swallowed. "Yeah. Could be fun."  
  
"I suppose we could bring Tom."  
  
"To the lower levels?" Zack made a face. "And what happens if he mouths off to some guy with implants we don't notice until he's using them to stomp our faces?"  
  
With a mouth full of omelette, Jarod nodded his head slightly to show he accepted the point.  
  
"I'd ask Kane, but sending our lead Marine down, even as 'liberty', might be too much," Robert said. "We're at least close friends and a reasonable group going on liberty together. I'm not sure Kane will be able to pass for that, especially if they have mind-readers or some other way of judging the situation."  
  
"Well, our list of possibilities is short." Julia smiled thinly. "So it should probably be me."  
  
"Are you sure?" Zack asked her.  
  
"Well, I'm supposed to do these things more than Robert anyway," she said. "I admit I'm not entirely happy with leaving Nick as our only senior officer with command experience on the ship, but that's the situation we're in. Everything I've heard says the lower levels are dangerous even inside the 'green zone' regions. You two will need someone along to help out."  
  
"She's right," Robert said. "So you three will head there while I go off to have breakfast with President Sinclair. If this works out, maybe I'll learn something we can use for this investigation, or at the very least get us some leeway with the government."  
  
Zack grinned wryly. "The last time we were in the field together was Abydos. This should be fun."  
  
Julia returned the wry look. Somehow, she suspected it would be more dangerous than fun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.

Ambassador Fry had a displeased look on his face. He'd called Robert and Julia into his office the moment they beamed down to discuss their plans for the day while the others arranged transport. Robert was in standard full uniform, black with red command trim, while Julia was in a leather bomber jacket and a navy blue sleeveless blouse with blue jeans. Her hair was put up into a bun instead of a ponytail, a quiet signal to others that she expected possible fighting. "I am uncomfortable with this situation, Captain," he admitted upon entry to his office. He went to his desk and sat down behind it while Robert and Julia found seats in front of it. "Relations with the Sovereignty are extremely delicate. If you say or do the wrong thing with President Sinclair…"  
  
"I'll be careful," Robert promised.  
  
"It's not just about being careful with your wording, Captain," Fry insisted. "The Sovereignty is a disjointed mess of conflicting power blocs that wouldn't last without Olympic keeping the lights running. If you make Sinclair think for a moment that you're in Sidney Hank's pocket, she will become our enemy. And if you make her think she's got you in _her_ pocket, then Mister Hank will undoubtedly respond the same way, not to mention that she will presume she can win favors from you." Sweat showed on Fry's forehead, demonstrating the full level of his agitation. He directed his strained eyes toward Julia. "And as for this scheme of yours, Commander. Taking armed teams onto Solarian soil…"  
  
"Their own laws allow us to be armed for self-defense," Julia retorted.  
  
"That won't mean anything if you end up shooting some Max-Tec trooper!" Fry cried. "Or if you get involved in a shootout in the middle of Ozone Heights! These people don't know what to think of us, they mistrust us deeply, and having you running around scanning everywhere will just make things worse… my God _why_ do you have to do this anyway?! Hank has all the assets he needs to investigate this!"  
  
"He's worried that someone within the company was involved in the thefts and that they could compromise any investigation his people make."  
  
"Is that all? With a company that big, unless the traitor was at the very top of the rank pole, what are the odds that they could spread their influence wide enough to catch everything the company does?"  
  
"That might be why Hank is concerned," Julia said. "Maybe he's facing someone in a senior position selling Pan-Empyrean out? Someone with the access to assist in the theft and to spy on investigations."  
  
"Possible," Fry conceded. "Very possible. But Mister Hank is a man of immense resources. I can't fathom why he needs you to do this investigation. He could just as easily hire mercenaries or private investigators."  
  
The argument was a good one. Robert and Julia, at that moment, wondered just why Hank insisted on them. And not just them as Alliance officers, but specifically, their crew. Zack had pointed out that there were other captains that could have been sent and worked just as well on this investigation.  
  
Fry continued on. "Damn. I know it's too late for you to back out. And you were ordered to assist him in any case, so you couldn't. But this does not sit right to me, Captain, Commander. There's no telling what agenda is being served, here or back in Portland."  
  
Back in Portland. Where Defense Minister Hawthorne and his ally, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Davies, remained implacable foes to the _Aurora_ crew. Could they have outmaneuvered Maran in some way to set them up to take a fall? If the _Aurora_ 's activities caused a breach with the Sovereignty, it would give Davies and Hawthorne ammunition in their efforts to take the _Aurora_.  
  
"We'll be careful, Mister Ambassador," Julia assured him. "Trust us."  
  
"I must, Commander. And I can only wish you good luck. And you must really get going, Captain, I don't want you to hold up the President."  
  
Robert nodded and joined Julia in leaving the office. They arrived at the open parking area at the front of the embassy to find the others waiting. Jarod was in a black leather jacket with a green shirt underneath and black slacks and shoes. Zack had on an old jeans-material jacket of faded blue color, a shirt with the Kansas City Cardinals emblem on the front, and blue jeans.  
  
The second group was dressed similarly. Angel had a sleeveless blouse and black leather jacket with navy blue pants, hair pulled back into a bun like Angel's. Caterina had eschewed a jacket for a blue sweatshirt with the emblem of an atom on the chest, a collared light blue shirt underneath the sweatshirt, and medium blue pants over white shoes; Violeta had a long-sleeved white blouse and was the only one wearing a skirt, using the same white color as the blouse, although she had thigh-length navy blue socks over pantyhose and white tennis shoes.  
  
Meridina and Lucy were wearing matching clothing; brown traveling robes over cream white vests and baggy pants. Lucy had dark-colored tennis shoes while Meridina had on a pair of shoes called _lintam_ , slip-on shoes with a pair of straps near the ankle.  
  
"Any problems?" Zack asked.  
  
"The Ambassador isn't happy, but he's not stopping us," Julia said. "We'll take public transportation to keep our cover of being on liberty. Everyone has the Solarian dollars loaded for use?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Let's get going. Remember to check in every hour."  
  
"Yes ma'am," Violeta said obediently.  
  
As they walked away Robert called out, "Good luck."  
  
Julia turned back to him and smirked. "We're not the ones going to breakfast with one of the most powerful women in this universe. You might need that luck more."  
  
At that Robert sighed. "Don't I know it?" he murmured. He walked toward the carport to get his ride to the Presidential Palace.  
  
  
  
  
Ozone Heights did not disappoint. Indeed, Jarod's description of it to them didn't even do it justice.  
  
The neighborhood was built among several blocks of skyscrapers and starscrapers, fifty meters high, two kilometers long and a kilometer and a half wide, its lowest level a little under three and a half kilometers above ground level. The 'scraper buildings it was attached to were all primarily arcologies, specifically pricey residences for those willing to pay to live in the Ozone Heights. The spaces between the 'scrapers were used for commercial properties, essentially being a massive twelve story-tall shopping mall with every service one might imagine available.  
  
The three young ladies departed the sky-bus at its designated stop, at the south terminal, among a crowd of people. The Solarians were wearing suits that varied in color and style; some looked little different from what the three _Aurora_ crew were wearing, while others had an outlandish look to them with the way the suits were cut or formed. Three figures in sleeveless vests showing arms covered in tattoos and implants walked by, their heads topped with foot-high mohawks of red and purple hair. One had a hairless alien hexaped draped over his or her bare shoulders. A large reptilian in what looked to Cat and Angel to be a Catholic priest's uniform walked beside a Human man with electronics all over his head.  
  
They moved with the crowd through the entrance and approached a cylinder of glass or plastic. The device was quickly revealed to be an advertisement display. It was running its standard routine of ads for those without the implants to see smartvertisements. The first ad they saw was for the SinTEK Implant Store in the Heights, touting the "affordable" monthly payments for a new top-of-the-line neural data implant with advanced quantum computing capability and bandwidth to sustain dedicated brain-state backups. The second ad was for NeuroAware Implants, with patented NeuroProtect firmware to protect your brain from malicious data coding, for a price comparable to the SinTEK option. Cat did the math in her head on the exchange. "These things would cost a year of my salary."  
  
"The highest end models would devour over a year of _Rob_ 's salary," Angel added.  
  
The next ad popped up. " _Tired of the same old tired candy? Of those little pills to keep you virile and hard? That's why you need ORGAZMO!"_ The image changed to show pieces of colored candy, all of which had a certain familiar shape to them that drew a blush from Angel and widened eyes of surprise from Cat and Violeta. " _Now in six thrilling flavors, all guaranteed to provide the greatest orgasm you have ever known! ORGAZMO is recommended by four out of five doctors for treating frustration… because the fifth one was too busy enjoying ORGAZMO to vote! Find ORGAZMO at your local grocery store today!_ " The ad suddenly flashed to a very, very fast-moving script of warnings, complete with a rapid fire announcer giving health warnings about use or overuse of ORGAZMO.  
  
"There is no way I am touching that stuff," Caterina announced.  
  
"It's kind of unfair," Violeta said. "They didn't think of people like us when they made it." She turned and grinned mischievously toward Cat. "I can think of a shape we wouldn't mind trying out."  
  
Caterina responded with a deep blush on her cheeks.  
  
After giving her blushing girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek, Violeta activated her omnitool and used it to interface with the nearby booth. On her omnitool a graphic showing Ozone Heights' name in stylized lettering appeared, followed by a female voice giving a voice-over as images of the sector played. " _Welcome, visitor, to Ozone Heights, voted by_ Solaris Business Weekly _as the best shopping experience for visiting life forms to Solaris. Here you can enjoy the widest selection of goods and services offered in the Sovereignty without the need for data implants or neural interface hardware. Ozone Heights was founded specifically to cater to off-world visitors' needs while visiting or living on Solaris…_ "  
  
Violeta muted the playback and brought up a map display. "Here, it includes a map directory for all of the businesses. Wow… we could spend days here and not shop everywhere."  
  
"So where do we start?" asked Caterina.  
  
Angel reacted by bringing up her own omnitool on her left forearm. The data Jarod had on the potential escape craft popped up, showing where the signal stopped. "It looks like a parking lot on the eighth level, north side. We should get going."  
  
"Don't have that thing too active," Cat urged. "We're supposed to be here on liberty, remember?"  
  
Angel turned the omnitool off. "Alright. But I want to get this scan work over. So let's hold off on the serious shopping and sightseeing until _after_ we check this out."  
  
  
  
  
The Sprawl was almost ground level at just seven hundred meters above ground. It did not have multiple stories like Ozone Heights, but it was wider and longer, at least ten kilometers long on the east-west axis. While Ozone Heights was a shopping mall, the Sprawl made Lucy think of a grungy urban commercial area full of local mom-and-pop stores and some chains. The residential buildings were both in the 'scraper structures and interspersed between them. They were just above the category of "crack house" slums for Lucy, at the level of "rent-controlled urban poor". After stepping off the bus her sense of smell was assaulted by the sweat, dirt, and grease of the nearby streets. This low the sun barely seemed to reach them. Most light came from the street lights and neon signs, giving the Sprawl a look of perpetual twilight.  
  
"This way," Meridina said softly, and Lucy followed. She consulted her omnitool as they walked while Meridina looked at a group of children coming out of an alleyway carrying a yellow sphere. Their clothes were dull and wrinkled, but they clearly weren't starving. "I sometimes tire of seeing these places in other societies," Meridina said. "The wealth above our heads could provide much to many, and the whole of society strengthened."  
  
"Like on Gersal?"  
  
"Among other places. I am no stranger to my people's shortcomings, however, and I recognize that Humans, though prone to selfishness, have qualities my people do not always value."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"In your societies, determination and persistence are valued, as is a willingness to go 'against' the majority opinions of your people."  
  
"Like you did when you broke from the Order?"  
  
To that Meridina sighed. "I suppose… yes." They walked onto a bustling market street. Around them open market stalls were haggling numerous items. Knickknacks, clothing, household supplies, anything they could hope someone would buy. "I can still remember their faces when I rejected them," Meridina admitted.  
  
"Who?" After a moment, Lucy realized what she meant. "The Order Council?"  
  
"Yes. They could not understand my choice. It angered them. I suspect some may believe Goras was right, that the Alliance corrupts us with the ways of others."  
  
"But Gersal's not a dictatorship. I mean, your people have rights, you have liberties…"  
  
"But we have responsibilities. Obligations. We must work to better ourselves, our families, and our people. If we succeed, we must not allow that success to go too far. Wealth earned is wealth that must be shared with those who helped you earn it, and they in turn are obligated to respect the qualities that brought you to that wealth." Meridina looked to her side, where a teenage girl with a cybernetic eye was haggling with a customer looking over her vegetable stand. She turned her head forward again in time to step around a large man handing out cash for what looked like a blackjack. "We value our sense of understanding that we are interdependent with one another."  
  
"Which is why your government calls itself the Interdependency," Lucy said.  
  
"Yes." Meridina looked over to her and stopped. "I am aware that some Human societies have some concept of this idea, but Humans as a whole seem to value independence instead of interdependence. You desire greater freedom, even from responsibility."  
  
"We do understand the idea of serving a greater cause," Lucy said.  
  
"Yes, but not the same way we do. What we see as a responsibility you see as a sacrifice. Something to be honored, perhaps even to be seen as an obligation of being part of a nation, but not as an obligation of responsibility in of itself." Meridina continued to walk. "I wonder if proximity to you has caused me to become the same. Perhaps… that is what Goras and my father, and so many others, fear the most. That Humans will lead us to becoming more independent as individuals until we lose our sense of interdependence."  
  
"Maybe," Lucy agreed. "Or maybe seeing how your society works will encourage more Humans to accept that we can be interdependent too. No man is an island, and we must all hang together."  
  
"Perhaps." Meridina held up her omnitool and checked the record Jarod gave her. "This way. We are fairly close to where the signal disappeared, and I wish to get this obligation completed so that we can go to the enclave."  
  
  
  
  
The bus dropped them at ground level exact. Zack was the first out. The dust in the air, the smells of rotten food, waste human, animal, and alien, and the worn down look of every structure save the exteriors of the 'scraper structures gave the place the look of abject poverty. This far down there was no sunlight to be had, and the available light only broke the darkness along the main roads, with some of the alleys being completely unlit. Only two other people joined them in getting off the bus, and both looked like they were worn out from a long work day and desperate to get to bed. The street sides were sparsely inhabited and some lights were showing in the smaller multi-story structures.  
  
"Well, this reminds me of… well, most of the crapholes we've been through out here," Zack sighed. He reached to his back for the reassuring presence of the small-of-back holster where his pulse pistol was safely kept.  
  
"The dark side of Solaris," Jarod murmured. A blank expression on his face formed. It didn't fool Julia. Beneath that expression her comrade was becoming angry. "It's all shiny and opulent up there, of course, while they keep the poor down here."  
  
"We're not here to grumble about the one percent," Julia said. "Let's see if we can find where that vehicle went so we can go home."  
  
They began to walk carefully down the poorly lit street in the direction of a half-ruined sign that said "Skylift" with an arrow pointing up.  
  
  
  
  
The same driver deposited Robert at the Presidential Palace, with ten minutes to spare. "I'll be waitin'," he assured Robert as the door closed.  
  
Robert nodded back to him before walking up to the large door that served as the main external entrance. Two soldiers in power-armor were standing watch. "Captain Robert Dale to see President Sinclair," he said to them.  
  
One nodded. "You're expected." Neither of them made any movement, the door simply opened inward to beckon Robert inside.  
  
The foyer of the Presidential Palace was certainly out to challenge to opulence and richness of Pan-Empyrean's lobby. Latinum-plated control panels for the doors, rich leather seats, a plush burgundy carpet… no expense had been spared for the Presidential Palace's look.  
  
At the desk ahead of him, a secretary was waiting. Her head was more metal than hair. "The President's aide will be here to escort you shortly, Captain."  
  
Robert nodded and sat down, giving him a better look at the open foyer, the marble tiling of the ceiling with a design showing a two-dimensional representation of the Solarian Sovereignty's member systems. On one wall an elegant painting, clearly done in one of the old European styles, showed a number of colonists disembarking from a colony ship settled upon blue-green grass under a fair sky. Portraits above the secretary showed a number of Humans, some men and some women; former Presidents, Robert guessed.  
  
After a short time a young Caucasian man in a pleasant business suit came out. 'Breakfast is ready," he said. "The President awaits you on her dining balcony."  
  
The man led Robert further into the Palace. They walked the entire way to a small dining room that jutted out from the side of the building, with glass overhead and along the entire far side. He was being treated to a private meal after all, it seemed.  
  
Victoria Sinclair was already at the table, with a plain white tablecloth over what looked to be a finely-crafted wooden dinner table. She was in a chair that did not look so old-fashioned, being constructed of what looked to be high-strength plastic with a latinum coated frame and fine leather seat and back. A similar chair was ready for him; the table had two bowls of fruits ready with a number of breakfast dishes, some of which he didn't recognize. By the other door two beings, a large woman and a shorter man with what seemed to be a very large head were standing quietly wearing shaded eyeglasses - very large eyeglasses for the shorter man.  
  
_Okay, a nearly private meal._  
  
Sinclair herself made him think of Julia; she had the same near-golden shade of blond hair pulled back into a nice ponytail, and in build she and Julia were about the same, although she was not as tall. Her face was about the same shape, which is where the similarities stopped.  
  
But what made it clear she wasn't Julia, or anything like her, was her eyes. They were a rich, crystal blue, and they had the same quality to them that Robert had seen in Hank. This was a woman who knew what power was and how to use it, and who loved doing so in a way that Julia did not. She didn't hunger for it intensely - certainly not to the extent that Katherine Steiner-Davion seemed to, a ravenous maw that Robert was thankful not to feel - but she wanted it and enjoyed it.  
  
Fry was right. He had to be especially cautious around her.  
  
"Good morning, Madame President," he said in a friendly tone. He took the offered seat. "Thank you for your kind invitation."  
  
"You're welcome, Captain," she answered. Her accent was almost English and almost American, but the inflections of her tone, the way she pronounced the words, were different than those accents. Thousands of years of phonetic drift had produced a Solarian accent unique to this world and place, one he was going to have to familiarize himself with as the conversation continued.  
  
"You should try the stuffed bread rolls," she advised. "I had my cook make them fresh with imported Aurigan cheese and meat made of Majellan beef. The Majellan cow is a species unique to that world and makes for a delicious addition to the palate." She gestured to a glass full of crimson liquid. "And the vintage of the port is straight from Parthegon's finest."  
  
Robert nodded and procured one of the fluffy bread rolls from the basket between his seat and Sinclair's. He took a bite and found the taste to be enjoyable. The cheese was unique, making him think of both cheddar and muenster, while the meat was flavorful.  
  
While he chewed, Sinclair finished her own bite of food and began to speak. "I have read our file on you, Captain."  
  
Since his mouth was full, Robert's only reaction was to shift his expression to show interest.  
  
"CEID has had an eye on you. Especially after the attack on the Alliance Senate. You are what our people call an Esper, maybe even a Psion."  
  
Robert finished swallowing. "The Gersallians use a term that translates into 'life force power' to describe what I can do."  
  
"Does that include reading minds? Can you command others mentally?"  
  
"No. Not really. I can sense thoughts and emotions, but I've never been able to enter another mind, not willingly and certainly not forcefully. I couldn't make a kitten bat yarn, honestly." Robert set his fork down before digging into what looked like an omelette. "Of course, the question is if you believe me, and why you'd meet with me if you don't."  
  
"That's why I brought my bodyguards." Sinclair motioned to the men at the door, specifically the one with the large head. "Mr. Gray is a Psion assigned to protect me from psionic attack."  
  
"Then you have nothing to worry about," Robert answered. Mentally he couldn't stop himself from thinking _But it looks like I do_.  
  
"You needn't worry, Captain," Mister Gray said, adjusting his shades. The more Robert looked at him, the more he realized just how abnormally large Gray's eyes were. "Unless the President orders me to, I won't do so much as whisper mentally toward you."  
  
Sinclair smiled quietly at that. Robert found himself thinking about that statement and the situation. She was showing off _her_ power now.  
  
Robert didn't care much for being intimidated, but he decided to be diplomatic about it. "Well, it appears my mind is in your hands, Madame President," he said, grinning. "I'd better be on my best behavior."  
  
Sinclair laughed lowly at that. "Oh, don't concern yourself, Captain. I'm actually something of a fan."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"As I've said, I read the file on you. The things you've done, the accomplishments. Stopping one of your own renegades from causing a war. Managing to make first contact with the like of the Third Reich without _immediately_ causing an interstellar war." The emphasis on that made it abundantly clear she knew about 33LA. "You have a number of diplomatic achievements to your name. Given all of the allies you won for the Alliance, you made the Alliance victory at New Liberty possible even without accounting for your personal involvement in that battle. And you kept the Reich from finding ancient technology that might have turned the tide of the war. You saved the Alliance Senate from assassins and helped to defeat a rogue Esper of immense power on Gersal." Sinclair stopped her recounting of the achievements Robert and his friends and comrades had managed in order to take a drink. "And now you are here. At Solaris. I find the timing interesting."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Just days ago, there was a robbery at Pan-Empyrean." Sinclair sipped again - it looked like she was enjoying the wine - before resuming. "Hank has tried to suppress the news of it, but he should know it's impossible to hide anything from Olympic, or the Datasphere in general. Frankly I think he's just being contrary on that note. But what I can't help but notice is that he swiftly informed me that he had invited the Alliance to send one of its most advanced starships to Solaris for consultations on the matter. I could have refused, of course." Another sip, while Robert took his first of the same. It was a strong taste, one of the richer wines he'd ever had occasion to try. "But I admit I allowed my curiosity to get the better of me. That was perhaps an error."  
  
"Oh?" Robert asked.  
  
His answer had to wait while Sinclair enjoyed a bite from one of the cheese and meat-filled bread rolls. "The Sovereignty is part of a delicate balance of power, Captain. The Bragulans, the Karlack, the Cevaucians… the peace of Wild Space, such as it is, relies on that balance remaining intact. The slightest tip could trigger a new round of interstellar warfare that could kill billions." Her eyes focused on him. "And your Alliance may become just that tipping point. So yes, refusing you entry was probably the wiser course of action."  
  
"But you didn't." Robert thought it over. She started another mouthful of food just as he resumed speaking. "Because you want to know more about what the Alliance is doing with Pan-Empyrean. And because you imagine that ignoring that connection will only make your enemies suspicious. But letting Hank invite us and then putting us under your guns? Acting as hostile as possible toward our interests? That mixes the signals. The your enemies can't be sure what you're doing, and if they're as worried about as us you are, they wouldn't want to bind us together by launching an unnecessary attack."  
  
Sinclair finished chewing. "An astute appraisal of the situation, Captain Dale."  
  
"If you want to know what the project is, I can't tell you. I was never briefed."  
  
"Really?" Sinclair eyed him with curiosity. Robert got the feeling she was considering asking Mr. Gray to rip the truth from his mind. A sly grin formed on her face. "Of course he wouldn't. Hank knows how good CEID psions are, and so does your Alliance if they're competent at all. No, they wouldn't tell you. They've got you running around in the dark." She nibbled on what looked like purple scrambled egg and swallowed. "Do you think your people will enjoy Solaris?"  
  
"We've heard many good things about it," Robert said carefully. "I was considering a visit myself."  
  
"Hopefully not to the bottom levels, it's disgusting down there with the dregs," Sinclair said. "I hope your comrades keep their guns ready and their eyes open. Your friends in the Sprawl and Ozone Heights will be safer, at least."  
  
Robert showed no surprise or concern. "You must really be interested in what my crew's up to on liberty."  
  
"Liberty, Captain? Or playing Sidney Hank's cat's paws?"  
  
"Part of our governing mission is to explore worlds and meet new cultures and civilizations. That includes sociological research." Robert shrugged. "Mixing business with pleasure helps with morale."  
  
Sinclair gained a glimmer in her eye at that. "And how often do you do that, Captain? Mix business with… pleasure?"  
  
The last word was spoken with a deliberate sultry tone. "You don't seem the type to simply seduce someone over a turn of phrase, Madame President. You're far too careful," he answered.  
  
"Perhaps you misunderstand me?"  
  
"No, I don't think I do." Robert took another of the rolls for his plate. "This has been a charming word game, Madame President, but I'm afraid I can't give you what you want. Whatever political rivalry or struggle you have with Sidney Hank is none of my concern."  
  
"So you say." Sinclair reclined in her chair. "Do you trust Mister Hank, Captain?"  
  
"No," Robert said immediately and emphatically. "Honestly, right now, the only people I trust are myself and my crew."  
  
"I suppose I should be hurt." Sinclair's grin twisted into an amused smirk. "But I can't deny it's a wise policy." She idly ran her fork through some of the omelette on her plate. "I must admit it is interesting to meet people who know Earth. In our universe, Earth is nothing but legend now, as is its history."  
  
"The material I read is vague on what happened," Robert said. "Three thousand years is a long time for history to get lost in, even with electronic media to save it. I'm not surprised some elements of Earth history get turned into lore and myth." At that Robert recalled the Avalonians, and the way they interpreted the history of their British ancestors through Arthurian lore and concepts. "Are you saying nobody remembers what happened to Earth?"  
  
"The Earthfall was a disaster that permanently warped the inner core of the Earthsphere," Sinclair said. "The closer you get to where Earth once might have been, the less reliable space gets. It is why we call that region of space the Fracture. And it is a terrible, corrupted place, with NEUROM oppressing entire worlds with the Ministry of Fate, the Mandragoran clans seeking battles and glory, the noble houses of the Grandeur of Auriga plotting against each other all of the time…" Sinclair shook her head. "I honestly would prefer not to talk about it. The Fracture is depressing and our Earth is long gone. And good riddance. No slight on your Earth intended, mind you, but the Earthreign was a terrible place ruled by terrible people, and they destroyed themselves. It's why I don't dwell on their fate. Here in the Sovereignty we look to the future, not a long-lost homeworld."  
  
Robert sipped at his drink as he considered that. "Clearly some people still have thoughts for Earth. I've been in Hank's office."  
  
Sinclair snorted. "That old fossil loves his relics of Earth."  
  
"If he's been around for millennia…"  
  
"Brain uploaded clones, mostly, with brain-state backups. We all have them. But the scientists say you can't maintain it over millennia. It doesn't matter if it's all backed up electronically, since even our best gene-modifications for the brain can't hold that much information." Sinclair shook her head. "Even if he's been around that long, I doubt Hank remembers anything but the last few centuries, at best."  
  
Robert pondered that. Would immortality be worth losing all your memories of the life you led before? It was memories that helped shape people; change them, lose them, and someone would gradually change into an entirely different being.  
  
He was jolted out of his thoughts by Sinclair speaking again. "Now, before our breakfast gets cold, perhaps we should focus on enjoying it." She sipped at her port and smiled warmly at him. "My chef will be so upset if we wasted his efforts."  
  
"Of course," Robert said genially, even if he was starting to wonder if he should be eating anything prepared here. But he'd already crossed that bridge and sensed no danger in the food, so he wasn't going to cause a diplomatic stir by refusing to eat more.  
  
  
  
  
Lucy and Meridina finished scanning the dimly-lit parking structure that Jarod's readings had shown was the last location of the potential getaway vehicle. None of the vehicles matched the description. "Maybe they moved it later?" Lucy suggested.  
  
"It is possible. And it was evident that these searches might not find anything." Meridina gestured to the exit. "Let us continue onward. The enclave I spoke of is close by."  
  
Lucy almost asked how she knew that. But when she took a moment, even she could feel it. She could feel the point where the Flow of Life seemed to flow with greater power and warmth.  
  
They left the parking structure and returned to one of the streets. The market was as busy as it had been before. They were passing a vendor selling holovids - likely pirated ones - when Lucy sensed a pang of fear joined by a jolt of confidence. She was paying enough attention to feel the hand slip past her robe and reach for the pocket on her pants, or perhaps for the hilt of her _lakesh_. Her hand snapped up and grabbed a wrist, a small wrist.  
  
"'ey!" a young voice protested.  
  
Meridina stopped and looked back with interest while Lucy looked down at the pickpocket. She judged him to be little more than nine years old, but possibly as old as twelve if he was short for his age. His face was smudged with dirt, with warm amber eyes and sandy blond hair. His clothes amounted to a worn child's jacket over a sleeveless cyan-toned shirt with an insignia on it - a sports team? - with knee-length cargo shorts, shorts that were bulging with what were clearly ill-gotten gains.  
  
"Yare a qick un, miss," the boy said. "ow'd ya grog me?"  
  
"My secret," Lucy answered.  
  
"Yaint gonna wig th' Maxtis onta me?" There was real fear. "I got sibs t' feed, un's a babe."  
  
Lucy put maximum skepticism into her expression and tightened her grip on the wrist. Meridina was looking back at them now, and had to sense the same slight deception Lucy did. "Maybe you've got siblings, but I doubt you're their sole provider."  
  
"Eh, 'kay, my ma does chores fa upside toffs too. But th' food an' rent is all she can cov, Miss. Me sibs an' I need scratch t' cov fer new threads or meds, ya grog?"  
  
Lucy considered him. She didn't sense deception that time. But she didn't let go just yet, not with the idea she just got. "We're looking for a LARC vehicle."  
  
"Yeah? There's billies upon billies on Solaris, Miss. Ya got a mod type?"  
  
Since Lucy was holding the boy's wrist, Meridina activated her omnitool. He shook his head. "I don't have a 'plant in my cranie, Miss."  
  
"We do not have implants either," Meridina said as she found the the vehicle from the Pan-Empyrean recordings and displayed it. "This is the craft we seek."  
  
The boy whistled. "Now she's a beaut mod there. A Sollark Works Helios. Prolly a new model, ya can grog she's got th' newie anti-gravs. She's no SinTEK Skylarc, but she can carry a right number o' peeps, an' she's as quiet as a Jesus Man's room after Sunday. Don't see 'em in th' Sprawl much."  
  
"Well." Lucy used her free hand to reach into her pocket. Some of the money they'd brought down was in cash. She pulled a $10 Solarian note from the bundle in her pocket and flashed the reddish-hued bill at him, the Sovereignty Spire prominent on the reverse side showing. "This is a down payment. I'll give you forty more if you can find one that parked here a few days ago, or at least give us a strong idea on where it's going." She narrowed her eyes. "And we'll know if you're lying."  
  
"I grog tha', Miss. Where're ya gonna be?"  
  
"A nearby enclave," Meridina said. "Where those with gifts meet."  
  
"That Esper enclave off th' Lo Tan Square? 'Right then, I'll find yar LARC fa ya, Miss."  
  
Lucy didn't need Meridina's help to sense the boy's honestly. The idea of working for that much money doing what he always did - watching LARCs from the upper level - was exciting. "My name's Lucy, and this is Meridina," she said.  
  
"Toby, Miss," the street urchin answered. "I'll grog yar LARC 'fore ya wig it."  
  
Lucy released Toby. He took off and, within a couple seconds, was out of sight. "If I hadn't felt genuine intent, I'd be convinced I just gave that money away." Lucy felt a pang of guilt. "Meridina, maybe we shouldn't have… maybe I shouldn't…"  
  
"If the vehicle that came here is not that of the thieves, they will not care. If the vehicle is that sent by the thieves, I suspect they will be more concerned with armed foes, not a street urchin admiring their vehicle. Let us continue…"  
  
Meridina and Lucy headed on to what was clearly Lo Tan Square. It was an open market surrounded by trees that glowed hot pink, bright purple, and neon green, illuminating the streets, while signs in Solarian English and what looked to Lucy like Chinese ideographs were fixed to various stalls. Many looked at least partly busy. "If people here are so poor, how can there be this many markets?" Lucy pondered.  
  
"I suspect not every buyer is from this place," Meridina said. She gestured to two suited men looking over a market stall selling what looked like glasses. "It's possible those from wealthier districts come here to purchase goods more cheaply than in their own."  
  
"The place doesn't look too dangerous, I guess. I haven't sensed anyone ready to attack someone. Well, not in the way a mugger would."  
  
"Nor I. But we are almost to our destination…"  
  
Moving along the edge of the Square, Lucy could sense where they were going even as it came into sight. The structure was on the north side of the square, a squat building of about three stories that looked like some stacked two hospital food containers together. There was no distinct sign on the outside of the property and the windows were shut, while light was visible from within the windows. The doors were made of polished wood. Lucy could feel the power within, a concentration she had only previously felt whenever visiting the Great Temple on Gersal. It was greater there, of course, but it was clear that within the structure were a number of those who could wield the same life force energies Meridina had taught her to use.  
  
The door had no visible handle, but unlike an open door it was fastened shut so that it could not be pushed open. As Lucy considered it, she realized no mere physical interaction could open it.  
  
Meridina focused on it silently. A latch within audible shifted, like a bolt being opened. Meridina's hand came up and the door swung open as she held her hand flat toward it without touching it.  
  
On the inside was a foyer. Small bushes, or rather very short trees, were kept in spaces to either side. Ahead a small desk was manned by a large alien in a light-blue robe over a brown tunic. While he was apparently humanoid, his face was completely alien, with three eyes that formed an inverted triangle on its head, with two ridges of flesh that moved diagonally between the inner eye and each outer eye. The creature's skin appeared to be colored like rust, but dark blue markings were on his cheeks and above the lower, inner third eye.  
  
Meridina stared for a moment in surprise. Lucy herself took a moment to realize what species this was: she was looking at a Jeaxian for the first time.  
  
The Jeaxian's head bowed slightly. "Greetings," he rumbled. "I am Jata'kesti ik som Rilap."  
  
"I have heard of you. And I recognize the markings."  
  
"I would expect a _swevyra'se_ to do so."  
  
Lucy looked to Meridina. "Who is he?"  
  
Before Meridina could speak, Jata'kesti did. "I was once a _taktan_ , a senior leader, in the forces of the Warlord Hatush ik som Ritap. For many years I joined my lord's raids on the peoples we shared a border with; the Dorei, the Mi'qote, the Hamati, even Gersallian colonies were not safe from our void raiders. I fought, I killed, I enslaved."  
  
Lucy's eyes widened as he spoke.  
  
"And then the day came that I realized how low I had gone. I no longer ignored the pain and suffering I caused. I fought to free those in bondage to my lord and brought them to safety. I would have died if not for the intercession of a Brother of the Crescent, who brought me to his order and helped me to find ways to atone for my many sins. That is why I serve here."  
  
"And how does serving as a secretary atone for the people you killed or dragged into slavery?" Lucy asked, heat in her voice. She flashed back mentally to that day in Stargate Command when Doctor Opani had tearfully shared her ordeal. "How many did you abuse with those damned neural implants?"  
  
The Jeaxian met her eyes with his own, which seemed to be burning with their red color. "I did not count."  
  
"Lucy," Meridina said, her voice laced with caution. "Please." She put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.  
  
Lucy recognized what Meridina was thinking. She nodded and understood. "Yes, I get it. I hope you find the redemption you seek," she said. As she did so she couldn't help but wonder how she would react if it had been a Duffy sitting there. Granted, the bastard father couldn't be there, the man who ordered her abduction and okayed her abuse and eventual planned murder. Robert had killed him that night she was freed and her new life began. But that slimeball Patrick…  
  
"I sense you have been victimized too," said Jata'kesti. "I shall pray for your wounds to heal." The Jeaxian looked to Meridina. " _Swevyra'se_ , it is not often we see one of your Order here."  
  
"And you have not today. I left the Order of Swenya months ago," Meridina said. "I am no longer _swevyra'se_."  
  
"Perhaps not in title, but in spirit, your Light marks you as one who strengthens the Flow of Life."  
  
"You said the Crescent Brothers trained you," Lucy said. "I thought they were a male-only Dorei order who view these powers as the gift of the Goddess or Supreme Being?"  
  
"They do. But I know of the Gersallians' views as well." Jata'kesti looked to Meridina. "Have you come for guidance, _swevyra'se_? Or to meet other masters?"  
  
"I have come to introduce my student, Lucilla Lucero, to others who practice the ways of _swevyra_ , so that her training in it might be improved." Meridina bowed her head. "Circumstance and, I fear, my own shortcomings have caused her training to become imbalanced. She has learned to fight as a _swevyra'se_ , and I have seen her act as one outside of combat, but I fear she has yet to understand the nature of our connection to the wider Universe, or Multiverse I suppose."  
  
"I understand. A number of our residents are currently gathered for meditation, I shall…"  
  
The Jeaxian stopped when the far door opened. Lucy had already felt the approaching newcomer and turned her head to face the door, as had Meridina. Recognition and warm delight showed on Meridina's face. For a moment Lucy thought that the newcomer might be a Gersallian, maybe even _Mastrash_ Ledosh himself.  
  
But the figure that emerged was too tall for that. The reptilian scales and the snouted face quickly drew Lucy's attention. A tail swished behind the figure as it stepped into the foyer of the enclave, wearing a robe of bright yellows and greens with what looked like blue vestments hanging from the shoulders. She soon recognized the reptilian as a Zigonian, with dull gray eyes that seemed to see nothing. His right hand held a walking stick of what looked like gnarled wood.  
  
Meridina's voice was warm when she bowed her head and said, "Kasszas. I am pleased to see you once more."  
  
"I am also pleased, Sister of the Light of Creation," the Zigonian replied. "And I sense the darkness that ailed you has gone."  
  
"Yes. I found release for my fears and doubts." Meridina gestured to Lucy. "This is my student Lucy Lucero. Lucy, this is Kasszas S'szrishin, a Zigonian of the Harmonious Val-Drillim, and one of those who aided us in rescuing Jarod from the Centre."  
  
Lucy nodded and smiled. "Thank you, then, Kasszas. Jarod is a friend of mine as well."  
  
"Creation bid me to follow Commander Andreys and her team, but your thanks are accepted in the spirit offered, Lucy." Kasszas' eyes remained unmoving as he approached. As one would expect, the pronunciation of anything sounding like an "ss" sound - such as the "c" in Lucy's name - came as a hiss. "I sense great potential in you. Creation has chosen you for great things."  
  
"You did not return to your homeworld?" Meridina asked.  
  
"Only briefly," Kasszas answered. "I felt a desire to spend time in meditation and quiet. My people are not a quiet people, even when we are seeing to our devotions, so I departed for the Enclave to re-center myself."  
  
There was a hint of sadness in the Zigonian's words that both Lucy and Meridina picked up on. Meridina was the one to realize its origin. "You regret the life you took that day."  
  
"I do. Though the dark one was a cruel woman and had no remorse, the end of her life was a loss of possibilities and a blow to Creation. I must consider the weight on my being to thwart doubt and darkness."  
  
"I understand." Meridina nodded. She had shed blood that day as well. She could still remember Dralan Olati's viciousness, the way he had embraced darkness… and her own dark impulse of joy after killing him in a _lakesh_ duel. She looked again to Lucy and felt the old worry, the old fear, that Lucy's passion might lead her astray.  
  
"Come, my friends," Kasszas said. "There are many rooms available. Let us sit and concentrate on the intentions of Creation."  
  
Without a further word, Meridina and Lucy followed Kasszas to the back.  
  
  
  
  
Cat and Violeta were quick to get the scans done when they arrived at the parking area. Much to their joy and surprise, they quickly hit pay dirt.  
  
"A Solaris LARC Works Helios, model 3200, 245 model," Cat proclaimed. "245 being the 245 years since the Sovereignty was formed… anyway! This is it."  
  
"No, it isn't," Angel sighed.  
  
The craft was indeed the same make and model as the vehicle used in the theft from Pan-Empyrean. But the similarities ended there. This one was the wrong color, being bright hot pink with lime green trim. Something that looked like a male hulu dancer model was stuck to the visible dashboard in side, where the seats were painfully bright yellow in color.  
  
"Okay, yeah, it doesn't look like a vehicle that a team of super badass mercenaries would use to steal from a megacorporation," Violeta agreed.  
  
"And the remaining graviton profile doesn't match," Cat added, checking her omnitool and the readings. "It's close, and it explains why Jarod's scans considered it a candidate, but…"  
  
"Just what are you stupid apes doing near my car?!" a nasally voice shrieked.  
  
Everyone turned to face a short gray alien with a big head and really big dark eyes. He was virtually naked too, but he was wearing a bow tie around his short, thin little neck, and he had a full-sized bowler hat perched on the top of his head.  
  
"Uh… just admiring the… paint job," Cat offered.  
  
Even as she did, she felt something in her head. Like someone was sifting her mind around, just a little. The sensation ended with a painfully loud and even more painfully _annoying_ laugh, a "HA HA HA!" that reverberated in both her ears and her mind.  
  
"You thought my car was used to steal from Pan-Empyrean?!" the Apexei almost shrieked. "You thought one of my people would ever steal from Sidney Hank? Seriously, you are really _stupid_ examples of your _stupid ape_ excuse for a species! Sidney Hank is one of the very few Humans who is worthy of being our equal, and he has done much for the Apexei species since those cursed Bragulans ruined our homeworld! We would never dare harm him or anything that was his! Now get away from my lovely vehicle or I will re-arrange your silly little heads!"  
  
Angel, for her part, felt sorely tempted to punt the little alien as far as she could with a single kick. But she complied nevertheless, as did Violeta and Cat. The Apexei made a satisfied chortle. "Stupid apes," he said once more while opening the door and climbing into his garish machine. A very low whooshing sound came from underneath, and bright lights appeared beneath the craft from its anti-gravs coming online. It lifted into the air and zipped on.  
  
"That was the most unpleasant alien I've ever met," Caterina said.  
  
"And there goes our best lead, too," Violeta added. "There's nothing else here that matches the signature we were given."  
  
Angel activated her omnitool. "This is Angela Delgado checking in, nothing in Ozone Heights."  
  
A moment later, Julia's voice came back, " _Alright. Enjoy the rest of your day then. We'll keep checking in every hour._ "  
  
"Delgado out." Angel lowered her left arm and let her omnitool's interface disengage. "Okay, that's done. Where do we go next?"  
  
"Let's go find something to eat," suggested Cat. "And then we hit the stores."  
  
"That sounds like a plan," Violeta agreed with a wide grin.  
  
Together the three descended from the parking deck and back to one of the concourses. They were surrounded by opportunity to satisfy any shopper, and for a moment Cat nearly forgot her grumbling stomach to investigate a shop selling new starcharts. But she continued on.  
  
Their first food option, at the edge of a food court area, drew their attention. The sign in green and red flashed "DISC-ILICIOUS" in gaudy neon. A Human was at the order table, or at least Cat assumed she was Human, as they drew closer and the dark tan skin turned out to be dark-tan fur, and the green eyes were distinctly feline. They looked up to the menu while the customer ahead of them finished ordering and moved on. Seeing the main item name displayed, Cat immediately asked "What's a 'yum disc'?"  
  
"It's a Solarian specialty," the young woman replied. "It's baked dough with sauce and cheese and anything else on top. You can eat it whole or slice it up, although…" The leonine young woman leaned in close to them and spoke in a whisper. "I wouldn't recommend the slicing. A lot of Solarians hate the idea of slicing up yum discs."  
  
"Wait." Angel looked over the graphics some more. "You're basically making pizzas. That's what this is. Pizza."  
  
The young woman blinked in confusion. "Pi...zza? What is pizza?"  
  
"What you just described a yum disc to be," Violeta explained. She tapped her omnitool on and, with a few button presses and key strokes, brought up the image of a pizza. "We call it pizza."  
  
"But… what? Yum discs are… they've always been yum discs!" The young woman was clearly bewildered, although not hostile. "My great-grandparents used to work 32 hour shifts baking them for troops in Brag War One!"  
  
"We've always known them as pizzas. But I can go with 'yum disc'," Caterina said. She smiled. "They _are_ really yummy, usually, and after thousands of years of history after Earthfall I guess names could have…"  
  
"Hey, you're holdin' up the line, you borebods!"  
  
The cry from behind prompted them to turn. A group of theoretically Human people were standing behind them. Each looked like they were half animal in some way. One had bull-horns on his head and the beginnings of a bull-like snout, one girl was covered in soft yellow fur with black dots like a cheetah, and a couple more had reptilian eyes and scales on their otherwise human-like faces. The fifth member had goat horns on her head and, instead of shoes, markings around hooved feet.  
  
"'Borebod'?" Angel said, bewildered.  
  
"That's you. A borebod," the bull said. "A weak sap who doesn't have the imagination to do something with your body."  
  
"You mean I don't get surgically altered to look like I belong in a kid's show with talking animals," Angel retorted.  
  
"My sister has hawk eyes, actually," Violeta said. "Gene-spliced and surgically implanted."  
  
"Oh look, it's a _poser_ borebod," one of the reptilians said, hissing appropriately to draw out the "s" in "poser".  
  
"Yeah. 'Oh look at me, I'm so cool'," the cheetah-girl said mockingly. "'I've got purple eyes and hair. See, I'm not a borebod.' Get real, honey, you're not cool, just another borebod."  
  
"Hey!" Caterina glared at the cheetah-girl, holding a finger up. "You leave my girlfriend alone."  
  
"Or what, borebod? I'm not scared of you, I've got speed and claws, you're just a silly borebod ape."  
  
"If you keep this up I have to ask you all to leave, you're holding the line up," the feline-looking girl behind the counter said apologetically. "Please order?"  
  
"We'll take a pizza, or yum disc, with cheese, and three drinks," Violeta replied. She offered an electronic chit loaded with Solarian dollars for the cashier to scan, paying for the meal.  
  
As she did so, the gene-modded bull behind them thrust a meaty finger at Cat's face. "Keep talking trash to my girl, borebod, and you get the horns."  
  
"If you lay one finger on my sister, bull-boy, I'll break one of those horns off and cram it up your ass," Angel growled. Her body tensed with readiness for a fight.  
  
Some of the customers behind the genemods were stepping away quietly. Some were mods themselves, but clearly wanted nothing to do with the aggressive young ones hassling the trio. All five readied themselves for a fight. Cat curled her fingers and prepared to use her omnitool's defense features to protect herself and Violeta while Angel continued to glare at the bull-man.  
  
Before anything else could happen, everything stopped, as a powerful female voice shouted, " ** _STOP!_** "  
  
  
  
  
Walking through the lowest levels of Solaris was a trying experience, with deep shadows and dark alleys that kept Julia, Zack, and Jarod constantly alert for any sort of ambush. After hours of walking and riding up and down lifts, they were near to the point where the vehicle disappeared from sensors. They stood along an elevated street outside of what looked like dilapidated apartment buildings, near a row of street vendors selling various wares. Jarod was consulting his sensor readings.  
  
Zack kept looking about. Like the others he felt on edge, and the constant vigilance was wearing thin and making him fatigued. When his stomach made a low gurgling sound, he amended "hungry" to his list of feelings.  
  
"It's a good thing we came in a group," Julia said. Her eyes were cast on a couple of jacket-wearing figures about thirty meters away who had looked their way. "We're just asking to get mugged."  
  
"We will be if we run across anyone desperate enough," Jarod observed while checking his readings. "We're almost there, we need to move one block over and up."  
  
They walked toward the market stalls and a number of smells quickly joined the dusty, rotten air they were already experiencing. Zack sniffed and sighed. "I smell burgers."  
  
"I wouldn't eat anything down here," Julia said. "You couldn't pay me to."  
  
Jarod looked up in time to follow as Zack led both over to the stall. A young lady, possibly as young as sixteen, was working a fryer, where a couple patties of meat were already mostly done. She handed off what looked like a hot dog to another Human in grungy work clothes and looked to Zack as he stepped up. "Just one Solarian dollar," she said in a thick, Spanish accent. "Big burger. Very good."  
  
"Zack…" Julia took his arm.  
  
"I'll scan it before I eat it," he insisted. "But it'll help the kid out, right?" Zack reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Solarian bank notes. "Keep the change."  
  
With enthusiasm the young lady accepted the money and put it away. She immediately took a plastic flipper and laid a cooked patty of meat onto a ready bun. She placed the other half of the bun on top, partially wrapped her culinary creation, and handed it over proudly.  
  
Zack took up the burger. Jarod was already scanning it. "No poisons," he confirmed. "No toxins. It's safe to eat. Although…" Jarod looked to see Zack hadn't waited. He'd already bit into the offered burger.  
  
"Good, _si_? Yes?"  
  
Zack examined his food. "Well, it's got a flavor… I can't place it. What quality meat are you using?"  
  
Julia had already seen the results on Jarod's screen and had half her face covered by her palm. It was Jarod who coughed and said, "Well, it's not ground _beef_ , or ground chicken or pork…"  
  
" _Ratta_ ," the proprietor announced proudly. " _Solaria Ratta._ "  
  
Zack caught the key element of that. "...rat?"  
  
The young girl nodded. "Is good? Best rats. Only best. Buy from Gimlet, good rat catcher, plump, good fed."  
  
If it had been someone else, Zack might have dropped the burger right then and there from the initial wave of revulsion. Only the completely innocent, happy look of the ratburger proprietor kept him from doing anything. He simply couldn't bring himself to upset her. "Yeah. It definitely is," he assured her in a polite, friendly voice.  
  
They walked on for a bit. Once they were out of earshot Julia looked at Zack with a grin that showed how much laughter she was holding back. "So, are you going to eat your _rat_ burger?"  
  
"Damned thing is, it really isn't that bad…"  
  
"It's _disgusting_."  
  
"Hey, maybe it's cultural. Like how French people eat snails. And don't they cook dogs in some parts of China?"  
  
Their route was suddenly blocked by another young lady wearing a heavy coat, with sunken eyes of chocolate brown color and a slight tan to her complexion. Her hands reached to the front of her coat and pulled it open.  
  
She wasn't wearing anything underneath.  
  
"Five and you can touch them for a minute…"  
  
They weren't paying attention, not entirely. Eyes were widened to some extent, if just out of shock. "Uh… wow," Julia managed.  
  
"Just five. Please," the girl pleaded. "You can do whatever you want for a minute."  
  
Zack reached into his pocket and took another note, this one worth ten. She accepted with one hand and looked toward the hand that had just given her the bill, as if resigned to what was coming next. Zack shook his head. "No, I'm not… sorry, I've got a woman I love, and besides…" He gestured toward Julia with his thumb. "She'd break the hand if I… yeah, she'd break my hand. No, just… get some grub, on me? In fact, here…" He offered the ratburger.  
  
The girl closed her coat and accepted the burger. She took a bite from it and, for a moment, a pleased expression came to her face. She stuffed the note into her waist and moved on, taking another bite as she passed them.  
  
For a moment the three just stood there. "That was unexpected," Jarod finally said. "I wonder if that kind of surgery is commonplace?"  
  
"It can't be too expensive, if people down here can get it," Zack offered. "But why would she want three…?"  
  
"I hope she never has to run," was all Julia said, after which she seemed to shudder as if considering the thought. "Angel and Meridina both turned up blank, so let's get going. This may be our only lead left."  
  
They turned into a mostly dark alleyway. Julia and Jarod stared intently at a couple of figures in duster coats who were staring their way. Nothing happened and they were soon ascending the walkway mid-way down the alley, leading to the next level. On this level things looked even darker, and a large shadow loomed to their right. Looking up confirmed they were nearby a full-sized Solarian high-rise, possibly even a starscraper. Jarod consulted his omnitool again as they neared the edge of the platform where it terminated beside the 'scraper. "It was right around here," he said, looking out over the edge. They were still pretty far up, more than far enough that a fall could be deadly. "I can't pinpoint it any closer."  
  
Given their location, Zack asked, "Could they have gone into the skyscraper?" He looked toward it. "I don't see an entrance here, but maybe along the side here, facing this gap?"  
  
"Maybe," Jarod said.  
  
"So we find an entrance, maybe see what's inside?"  
  
"It won't be so easy," Julia remarked. "From what I've seen, most of the skyscrapers and starscrapers are entirely blocked off on the ground level. At least in this area. That way they can keep out these poor people down here."  
  
"A scan might show something." Jarod triggered his omnitool's scanner. "I might get a graviton trace matching our suspect."  
  
As Jarod talked Julia looked back. There were only a few people milling around, on their way to or from wherever. They seemed more interested in the view of the area than of the trio. But yet, Julia couldn't help but feel like she was being watched  
  
"I'm definitely finding something." Jarod looked up at the featureless lower levels of the starscrapers. "Time has caused a lot of these elements to decay, but I think there might be something…"  
  
Another jacketed figure was walking by them. Zack and Julia looked toward the pedestrian with little regard. Zack looked away, returning to looking at what Jarod was doing, and Julia nearly so...  
  
...until she noticed the flutter of the jacket, and the metal sphere that dropped out and rolled over to them. "Look out!" she cried. She dived for Zack and Jarod, but due to distances only managed to knock Zack down and away.  
  
There was no explosion. Wisps of what looked like blue smoke erupted in jets from the sphere. Within seconds a gas cloud over a meter across on all sides had formed. The blue gas reached Julia and Zack as they started to stand again. They coughed and felt their bodies go limp.  
  
With her head against the ground, Julia could hear thumps, vibrations, from a number of approaching pairs of feet. She couldn't move and her vision turned blurry.  
  
The last thing she could see with any clarity was Jarod jumping over the railing.  
  
_Jarod!_ She tried to cry out, but she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything as powerful arms pinned her wrists against the base of her back and strapped them together. Someone was just starting to pick her up as everything went dark.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.

The sound of hissing gas drew Jarod's attention right away. He looked over in time to see Julia and Zack coughing on the ground. The blue smoke was already drawing close to him. Given the way their bodies went slack, it was a paralytic agent of some sort.  
  
Beyond the smoke, jacketed figures were approaching. Some of them were holding visible firearms.  
  
It took half a second for Jarod's mind, advanced as it was, to make the calculation. Julia and Zack were out of it, and his situation was hopeless. If he didn't get away, all three of them would be taken. All he could do at this point was escape.  
  
And there was only one way to escape.  
  
Without a further thought, Jarod turned toward the railing and swung his leg over it. The other figures started to pick up speed, clearly intending to stop him, but they were too slow. The other leg came over and, with his heart hammering in his chest, Jarod slid off the platform toward what could be a very messy landing a few hundred meters below.  
  
It paid to prepare for things. For instance, knowing you were going to be on a world full of elevated platforms and structures, the possibility of falling to a messy death is one you can take steps to deal with. In Jarod's case, it had been adding a function to his standard operations omnitool. The same hard-light generation that could craft a sharp, armor-penetrating omniblade was put to use for another feature; a hard-light grappling hook.  
  
Spinning in mid-air, Jarod was already below the level he had just departed when he got his forearm into position. The omni-hook, with a hard-light wire attached, shot out from his omni-tool. It stuck itself firmly into the underside of the level in question and buried itself by several inches into the surface ferrocrete. Jarod had a brief mental image of a comic book character he'd seen during his time as a fugitive from the Centre swinging around a building on a hook, and now he did the same thing, swinging below the level he'd just jumped from. He didn't want to risk them hearing him land, so he kept the hook in and retracted the wire. The underside of the elevated level was hardly flat, with his hook embedded mere centimeters from a trunk that undoubtedly contained data lines or power lines. A glance at his omnitool told him that the trunk was harmless. It also told him that he was pushing the projectors toward their limits and had only seconds left before the omnitool shut down the construct. He counted those seconds as he got closer… closer…  
  
His arm reached out and grabbed the trunk, wrapping around it enough that he had a grip.  
  
Within moments of securing his grip on the trunk, the hardlight hook dissipated.  
  
Jarod wrapped his legs around the trunk, thankful it was small enough to accomplish that, and with both legs and one arm around it he settled for a moment. He didn't know how long he could stay here, but he wasn't going to risk moving until he knew that their unknown attackers hadn't followed him.  
  
And then, once he was sure of that, he would have to do two things: contact the _Aurora_ … and get to Julia and Zack.  
  
  
  
  
" ** _STOP!_** "  
  
Everyone in front of Disc-licious froze.  
  
The leonine young lady at the counter was the first to react verbally to the source of the shout. "It can't be…"  
  
The woman who approached them was dressed in a sleeveless smock of sorts, with the belly also cut away to show rippling, powerful muscle around her visible navel, muscle equaled by that on her arms, or on the legs left bare below the mid-thigh by what looked to be a mini-skirt and shorts combination. Her eyes shined brilliantly blue in taking in the scene before her. Her head was shaved bald save for a top-knot out of the back of her head, a top-knot of fiery crimson hair.  
  
The gene-altered teens that looked ready to fight Angel and Cat (and Violeta) stared in stunned admiration at the new arrival, much to the disbelief of Angel and Cat since the new arrival looked as baseline Human as they did. They started scrambling in their pockets as the muscular woman stomped up.  
  
But she wasn't looking at them. She was staring with what looked like devoted admiration at Angel.  
  
"Can I… help you?" Angel ventured.  
  
"Such boldness. Such raw power, such _passion_ ," the woman said, her accent thick and vaguely Eastern European. "I can see it in you, the essence of the warrior feminine, the urges, the passions…" She looked to Caterina. "And you. Brilliance. Imagination. Ancient wisdom to be sought…" The bald woman moved on to Violeta,, whom she looked over intently. "So _bold_ , woman. Such boldness! The vivid color, but only the color, anything else would _mar_ your _perfection_!"  
  
"Umm…" Violeta looked at the new arrival quizzically. "I don't think we've met…?"  
  
"No. We have not. Fate has made this the day for our meeting." She looked the three over again, in sequence. "I see. You do not know of me. How shocking, how _interesting_. From a lost Wild Space world, coming to Solaris to seek your fortune, your _destiny_ ,and now it is here, at this place and moment!"  
  
"We… didn't catch your name," Caterina said.  
  
"Names, yes!" The woman smiled. "I am Katarzyna Granzowa, and like you, I am unaugmented. A simple, unadvanced Human, no modifications, nothing but my skill, the skill that made me the first baseline Human to survive MetaBrawl!"  
  
"You three really are fringe world yokels," one of the reptilians said to them. "How can you _not know_ Katarzyna Granzowa?! The legendary fighter and movie star, wife of the Birk himself!"  
  
"The…. 'Birk'?" Violeta asked.  
  
"Wesley Prefect Birken is my husband, yes," Granzowa said. "Our love is eternal. He has vision, I have vision, and it has led me here to this day, this place in time and space! I simply must have you all!"  
  
"What do you mean… have us all?" Violeta asked, still very confused.  
  
"In our next masterpiece, of course!" She looked to Angel. "You will be perfect for the role of the Divine Guardian, the protector and warrior, and you...."  
  
"Caterina."  
  
"...you will be the Priestess of Knowledge, the Keeper of the Divine Secrets…. and this one shall be the Maiden." She had moved on to Violeta. "Blessed with sacred vision! You will all be perfect!"  
  
"Miss Granzowa!" The bull-man knelt down. "Please, can you autograph my horns?!"  
  
"And mine too!" added the goat-girl.  
  
"Anything for fans," Granzowa said. She reached into a pocket and pulled a marker she seemed to carry just for this occasion.  
  
As she attended to the autographs, the ordered "yum disc" was delivered to the counter, with drinks. Violeta tapped Cat's shoulder, and she in turn tapped Angel's. They quietly snatched up their food and drinks and, with careful haste, departed.  
  
"This world is _weird_ ," Angel murmured to them as they left the food court.  
  
  
  
  
On Robert's return to the Embassy, he was immediately escorted into a scanning chamber. A civilian Dorei man - light blue complexion, teal spots, dark blue hair, and dark teal eyes - was standing on the other end of a clear partition. "Sorry, Captain, security precautions," he said. "I'm Sanyam Dutal, the chief of security for the Embassy."  
  
"You think that the President of the Solarian Sovereignty poisoned me?" Robert asked.  
  
"Not poisoned. But CEID have been known to plant nanite-scale trackers and listening devices into our people before," Dutal explained. "The Ambassador himself once returned with a stomach full of spy nanites."  
  
"They bugged the _Ambassador_?"  
  
Dutal nodded. "That's how CEID works. We protested, of course, and President Sinclair naturally assured the Ambassador that CEID would be firmly reprimanded. But nothing ever came of it. When it comes down to it, CEID do whatever they want if they feel it's necessary."  
  
Robert sighed deeply and dropped onto the bench in the room. "And what about me?"  
  
"None yet. This may have been a perfunctory attempt. Or they're trying to determine how effective our security precautions are. Either way, the scan isn't completed yet."  
  
Robert activated his omnitool. It immediately informed him that it could not establish any connections. "And this thing is emissions shielded too, right?"  
  
"Yes sir. Everything, even subspace interference that blocks their hyperspace-based comm tech."  
  
"I need to get in touch with my people," Robert insisted.  
  
"As soon as the sweep is done, sir." Dutal checked something. "At the current progress, it shouldn't be more than another hour or so. Then another hour or two for Deputy Chief Kanilata to check you mentally for any signs of psionic tampering. And you should be set."  
  
Robert groaned at that. He was starting to _hate_ this world.  
  
  
  
  
Meridina and Lucy followed Kasszas through the passageways of the enclave. The interior was well-lit and cheery, with works of art on the walls showing everything from nature scenes to likenesses of beautiful nebulae or quasars.  
  
They passed by what looked like a common mess hall. A multitude of beings were seated at the tables. A Vulcan was quietly sipping plomeek soup while, across from him, an African man had a bowl of lentils in an earthy-colored sauce. A blue-skinned, teal-spotted Dorei had a hand raised toward another Zigonian. "...still begs the question, my friend. Is Creation a construct of the Supreme Deity?"  
  
"It is and it is not. It is one and the same with all beings."  
  
"Then the Supreme Deity is another being formed by the power of Creation," the Dorei argued. "But then the Deity cannot be supreme."  
  
"Can the Deity not? A Supreme Deity can be such and still a product of Creation."  
  
The theological debate, or philosophical debate, continued on as they moved away from the mess. They came upon a meditation room where a figure was standing up. He had East Asian coloring and features. Seeing them, he bowed respectfully. "S'szrishin- _san_." His eyes glanced toward Meridina. "And Meridina _-san_. An honor."  
  
Lucy didn't recognize him, but she could see Meridina did. On a second glance, she did think she had seen the facial features before…  
  
Meridina nodded. "Kurita Minoru, I believe?"  
  
"I am honored you remember our naming conventions."  
  
"Kurita?" Lucy looked to Meridina. "As in the Combine?"  
  
"My father is the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine, yes," Minoru said. "He gave me permission to come to this place."  
  
Meridina nodded. "I felt your potential during our visit to Luthien. I am pleased to see you."  
  
"And I you."  
  
"Why did you come all the way to Solaris?" Lucy asked. "I'm surprised your father let you."  
  
"My father understands what I seek," Minoru replied. "There are many roads to wisdom. Mine has been longer than it might have been, but it is worth it." Minoru looked again to Kasszas. "I am going for my meal now. The meditation chamber is yours."  
  
"Thank you, Brother Minoru." Kasszas bowed his head in respect.  
  
After the Kuritan prince departed, Kasszas stepped into the middle of the room. Lucy looked around at the chamber. An incense burner was on one end, a collection of tea cups and a kettle on the other. A nature scene showing a tall waterfall spewing teal-shaded water upon a forest of bright blue flora dominated the far entrance. Several sitting pads were in the room. Kasszas pulled an extra large one out, and Meridina another. Seeing what they were doing, Lucy took her own.  
  
Once they were all gathered around the center, Meridina assumed her own meditative pose. Kasszas took one as well, his legs folded under him and his tail curled around them. Lucy sat cross-legged and set her elbows on her knees. "You have felt the power of Creation," Kasszas said to her. "You have seen with it. The frustrations I sense within you cloud your thoughts, obscure your connection to the whole of Creation. Such is the way with many beings. We blind ourselves to the truth. We are of Creation; Creation is within us."  
  
Lucy nodded. "While the Gersallians see this power as a Flow of Life, created by the individual life forces of all beings, that we can tap into and we are supposed to strengthen."  
  
"Yes. And I have meditated upon this. The way of Swenya, by word, is not that of the Harmonious Val-Drillim. But in the spirit, we are closer than might be imagined." Kasszas held up a scaly digit, tipped with a talon that Lucy knew could slice her throat open if applied. "We may all be different reflections of a single, greater truth. But you may never grasp this truth if you allow your frustration to cloud your judgement."  
  
"I'm just dealing with a complicated mechanical problem," Lucy insisted. "I've tried everything that should work, but I keep hitting a limitation."  
  
"I see." Kasszas' tongue flickered in thought. "Perhaps it is a matter of perception. I suggest you meditate upon the issue. Use your connection to Creation, my Sister, and you may find the answer you seek."  
  
"I have been," Lucy said, trying to keep the heat from her voice. "I've thought about it over and over, run it through my head…"  
  
"...and that is where you have taken the wrong path. You perceive the problem from the wrong direction. Think anew. Sense the power of Creation around you, sense it within yourself, and reconsider. Carefully."  
  
After that the Zigonian went quiet, apparently dwelling upon his own meditations, Lucy turned to Meridina. She almost spoke but stopped.  
  
_This is why I brought you here, Lucy_ , Meridina's voice whispered in her mind. _I have helped you where I can on this. And I would be a terrible teacher if I didn't know when to step aside and bring you to another who might better help you._  
  
Lucy sighed and nodded. With nothing more to do, she put her hands together on her lap and opened her senses up to the pulsing warmth of the Flow of Life.  
  
  
  
  
Two levels down and a block away from where they had been ambushed, Jarod moved quietly through the shadows. The old habits of his time running from the Centre were coming back as if he was riding a bicycle again, for the first time as an adult.  
  
At least, that was the theory of the analogy. Jarod's childhood in the Centre had precluded that sort of activity.  
  
Calls home weren't working. Someone had put up a localized jamming field blocking most communications. This told him that whatever they were doing, they were about to make their move. Going for backup would be tricky. Their opponents had been tracking them and knew his face, and they were likely to have all public transportation routes blocked. He had scanned the 'scraper in question as best as he could. The entryways were mostly blocked, and there was shielding to prevent scans from getting inside.  
  
But he knew there was at least one entryway. Getting to it would be a challenge. It would require planning.  
  
Jarod liked challenges, of course, and as his track record showed, he was quite good with planning.  
  
Coming out of the alley, Jarod's omnitool indicated the presence of things he would need. There was technology and gear in a nearby building. It was a squat structure built for this level alone. The marking outside was a flickering holo-sign that only said " _Bio-Outfitting Center_ ".  
  
Jarod entered the door, which chimed as he did so. Inside were shelves filled with all sorts of gear and equipment, including climbing gear, laser emitter assemblies, and shop tools.  
  
At the counter, a young man with a metal arm up to his right shoulder - bared by his tank top - was watching a hand-held holo-display showing two scantily-clad women fighting in a locker room. He looked up slowly as Jarod approached. "ey," he said. "Wot'll it be? The Surgeon's in."  
  
"Surgeon _General_ ," a voice cried from inside the nearby door. A man in a white lab-coat emerged, his right hand a metal fist, his face dominated by a large chin. "I'm the damned _Surgeon General_." He noticed Jarod and grinned. "Ah, hello there. Here for a mod or three? I charge a tenth of what those over-priced yahoos in the upper blocks charge, and my mods are guaranteed against all infections."  
  
"I'm not interested in getting modified," Jarod answered. He smiled widely. "But I'll pay for some of your gear, and an hour in your machine shop."  
  
To that, the "Surgeon General" scoffed, "C'mon, pal, this isn't a do-it-yourself shop. You want to get into my machine shop, you gotta work here, and I'm not hiring. Now, if you're so chicken-sh…"  
  
Before the four-letter word could be finished, the Surgeon General had reason to back up, given the look in Jarod's dark eyes and, more importantly, the pulse pistol now held toward his head. "Are you crazy, I've got prot…" Before his protest could finish, Jarod fired a stun blast into his chest, knocking the big-chinned man out. He turned to look toward the man at the counter.  
  
Said young man shrugged. "I'm still watchin' this Birkin marathon, guv," he said. "'nd that bastard owes me two days' wages 'nd a new arm. Just stun 'n tie me 'fore ya go, so's 'e don't grog on?"  
  
"Fair enough." Jarod pulled the stunned "Surgeon General" back to his office, where there was a nice chair to tie him to. Then he got to work, as quickly as he could, hoping Julia and Zack were okay.  
  
  
  
  
Julia woke up to feel tension in her shoulders and warmth at her back. The pain in her wrists confirmed the situation even before she opened her eyes and looked up to see her wrists bound above her head. She could make out another pair of hands lashed to hers and knew immediately that Zack was hanging behind her.  
  
For a moment fear struck. She was being held prisoner, and she didn't know why. The fact they were alive meant that their captors wanted something from them. What did they plan to do?  
  
Another fear hit afterward. _Jarod!_ She'd seen him go over the railing. Why? Did he have a plan? Or was it a reflex reaction to being caught and being more willing to die than to be captured by anyone? Was he still alive?  
  
"Unh." Zack's head moved. He looked up and Julia felt his head smack against hers. "Ow," they said together. Julia would have kicked at him, but her ankles and Zack's were bound together too.  
  
Julia took in their surroundings. It looked like a machine shop. Firearms and other devices were spread out on tables along with tools. The lights were on, although dimmed, and for the moment Julia couldn't make out any guards.  
  
"Do you think we found the thieves?" Zack asked.  
  
"We found _something_." Julia looked up again. Their captors had left them hanging from a latch, attached by a strong steel wire to a pulley arm. "Looks like this is used to lift engine blocks or something." Looking down again, she saw a cement floor. Her feet were just touching it.  
  
"What do you think they want us alive for?"  
  
"Ransom. Slavery. Tickle torture." Julia kept studying the latch above. Her omnitool had been removed, a precaution against it having anything to cut them free. "Take your pick. I'm just glad we're not butt-naked."  
  
"Yeah, that would be awkward," Zack agreed. "They've got our guns too."  
  
"You see them?"  
  
"Yep. And our omnitools."  
  
"Maybe I…"  
  
Julia shut up and looked to her right at the sound of a door opening. Said door was elevated up to Julia's shoulder blades, with a red-painted metal walkway leading to metal steps down to the ground she was barely standing on. Two figures walked in, wearing what looked like tactical gear and holding assault firearms. They took up stations at the door and said nothing.  
  
A woman stepped in. Her skin was porcelain white in complexion. Deep, brilliant blue eyes shined like sapphires in the light as they took in the sight of Julia and Zack where they were bound. The suit was made of red leather with black trim and showed much of the figure of a lean, physically fit woman. She moved with a cat-like grace in walking down the metal walkway and to the steps leading down to the floor of the machine shop. In doing this, her turning allowed Julia to see a red band held raven black hair into a bun at the back of her head.  
  
"Oh crap," Julia murmured, after which she gulped.  
  
"What?" Zack asked. He couldn't easily see the new arrival as she was walking toward Julia's side of the room. "You recognize her?"  
  
"I recognize the uniform."  
  
"So you do," the woman said. Her accent had a strange quality to it. It didn't sound like English was her second language, but the phonetics of the pronunciation were unique even to Solaris, the vowel sounds sounding thick and pronounced. "My name is Tabitha. I am an agent of NEUROM."  
  
"Nure-who?" Zack asked.  
  
Tabitha narrowed her eyes. And then grinned. "Ah, yes. You are not so educated in the ways of our universe, are you outsider? And what of you?" Tabitha eyed Julia. You know of us?"  
  
"I've seen one of yours. She was called Denna, a fugitive."  
  
"Denna." Tabitha smirked. "My poor, sweet Denna. How I miss that girl. She was always a little too enthusiastic for our work. Enjoying pain is part of what we are in the Ministry of Fate. But one can have too much of a good thing."  
  
"Great," Zack sighed. "I'm being held prisoner by a dominatrix."  
  
"Zack," Julia hissed.  
  
"I trust you know what this is, then?" The woman reached to her belt and held up an object that almost looked like a leather-covered eskrima stick, the kind Julia trained with while practicing that specific art. "You've seen an agiel used before, yes? You needn't answer, actually. I can see the fear in your eyes." After giggling for a moment, Tabitha stepped around them and faced Zack. "You are ignorant. I shall fix that. Now, what are you doing in the lowest levels."  
  
"Sightseeing. Trying out the local food." Zack smirked at her. "Ever have a ratburger? There's a girl one level down, makes some really juicy…"  
  
Just as the device started to move toward Zack, the door opened again. Another dark-clad figure, this one a big muscular woman with a gun slung over her shoulder, stepped in. "M'lady, it's time. We can't keep the jammers up much longer before it becomes suspicious."  
  
"Hmm." Tabitha looked to her and noddded. "I'll be up in a minute. Have we found the target?"  
  
"We have."  
  
"Good. Ready the team. And have our people begin preparations to decommission this base. It's useless to us now."  
  
"Of course, M'Lady. It will be as you command." She stepped out.  
  
Tabitha stepped back around and faced Julia directly. "I'll make my decision on whether to kill you or bring you with us after I go." She got so close to Julia that their eyes met. "Bringing you back for debriefing would be quite the plum for this mission. And the chance for some playtime with you two is so tempting…"  
  
Somehow, Julia knew that however tempting it was for Tabitha, she and Zack wouldn't find it so appealing.  
  
"Ta, lovelies." Tabitha walked away, heading for the door. The lights dimmed down again as the door closed, leaving the two of them alone.  
  
"This is the _worst_ shore leave _ever_ ," Zack grumbled.  
  
  
  
  
"This is the _best_ shore leave _ever_ ," Caterina declared.  
  
The pizza, or "yum disc", had been tasty, and the drinks not bad. Now the three of them were walking along Ozone Heights and another line of shops. Caterina and Violeta now had bags of clothes on their right and left arms respectively, while their left and right hands were clasped together. Both were wearing matching sleeveless, navel-baring shirts of vibrant purple and blue colors that constantly shifted due to the specialized dyes of the clothes. They wore equally-matching blue skirts that stopped just above the knee.  
  
Behind them, Angel followed with a wistful grin. She wasn't having quite so much fun. Indeed, her primary sentiment was that she was pretty sure the other two had exhausted their money supply and that the shopping would become window shopping only now. Meanwhile she checked her omnitool for any updates from the others and frowned at the result. She quickly tapped another query.  
  
"I can't wait to wear that dress," Violeta said. "Especially if we get to go home… if girls on Sirius find out about this place…"  
  
"...they'll all jump on the first liner to come shopping," Cat laughed. She felt weird, but good; she'd never been much of a shopper, and during their Europe tour what shopping they'd done had been mixed in with sight-seeing. Caterina looked back to where Angel was still following. "So, where do you want to go shopping?"  
  
"I don't want to shop," Angel said. "I'm shocked you spent this much. How much of this stuff could you have just replicated up on the ship?"  
  
"There's no replicator pattern that can match this!" Caterina declared, gesturing with her right hand to the shifting patterns on her shirt.  
  
Angel shook her head. "That doesn't matter. And we need to get going."  
  
Caterina frowned and stopped, prompting Violeta to turn with her. "Are you okay?" Cat asked Angel. "If you're not having fun we can do something else."  
  
"It's not about fun," Angel snapped. "It's been too long since Julia's last check-in. And I just tried to raise them again and there's absolutely no response."  
  
The other two ladies frowned. "That is bad," said Violeta.  
  
Angel nodded. "And I can't get ahold of Robert either. He must be in the Embassy in a secure area."  
  
"We should probably head back there, then," Caterina said.  
  
Angel nodded, and they continued on.  
  
  
  
  
"Is this really necessary?" Robert asked, twitching, while the Gersallian woman Kanilata held her fingers to his face. She had a complexion that made her look East Asian to Robert, though her face had the same basic facial structure as other Gersallians.  
  
"I am almost done," she answered. "You are fortunate that my training as a _farisa_ allows me to do this as I am. Others would have to be more invasive to be sure."  
  
"They didn't do anything to my head," Robert insisted.  
  
"Unfortunately, CEID's _farisa_ are known to be capable of subtle alterations to a mind. We had to send one of our clerks back when she was found slipping our daily decrypted communiques to CEID operatives. She had been manipulated mentally to have a subconscious impulse to send the information." Kanilata frowned deeply. "It is a terrible abuse of mental powers."  
  
"And you're afraid they did this to me?"  
  
"We must take precautions against it. Now please, be silent again, and let me concentrate."  
  
Robert frowned and did so.  
  
  
  
  
Lucy was surprised to see how well she kept her focus in meditation. It was as if the energy around her encouraged it, allowing her to ease her thoughts and let her mind calm. She could feel the warmth of the Flow of Life and how the ember of power within her resonated with it. She could sense Meridina's power as always, strong, inviting, and laced with benevolent intent. She enjoyed that sensation, stripped of the doubt and fear that had plagued Meridina for those months after Amaunet took her as an unwilling host, and she signed with contentment at its presence near her.  
  
Kasszas was different. There was a special feel to his power, a contentment, a sense of absolute surrender to the Flow of Life, as if Kasszas could simply dissolve himself into it. It resonated around him in reply, as if he were a part of it.  
  
It made sense. He was blind. The Zigonian being bereft of a major sense encouraged the bond he felt to the Flow of Life, to his own power, because it was what he saw the world through.  
  
A thought came to Lucy. Was that her limitation? For all that she had learned with these powers, with this connection to a wider energy around her… she still often thought in hard terms. She had become an engineer, and engineers dealt with the firm limits of reality all of the time. The limitations of materials, of energy, of design.  
  
Limitations like the crystals for her recreation of Swenya's Blade.  
  
She had done everything right, hadn't she? She's taken what she saw in the scans, in the design, and she'd recreated it. But it was simply too much energy for the crystals. And there were some good crystals, strong, beautiful, why didn't they work?  
  
_What am I doing wrong?_ she wondered. _I'm looking at this from the wrong place. Maybe there's another way to see this? Something I'm overlooking? I should double-check those scans…_  
  
Lucy stopped herself. No. That wasn't the answer, was it? That would be continuing to look at the problem from the same direction. She needed to try another direction.  
  
She felt within herself, and around herself, she felt the energy and she let go of her preconceptions. The answer was there. It had to be. She'd felt all this time that she would do this, that she could do this, and maybe this… maybe _this_ was the way she would.  
  
From the warmth of the energy came a sight. The Gersallian Council Chamber. _Mastrash_ Goras, his essence full of darkness, his hate murderous. Robert and Angel desperately trying to hold him off. And in her hand… the weapon. The blade. Swenya's Blade.  
  
She had felt within it. She had felt the pieces as they should be, as they had been shifted to disable the weapon. She remembered fixing it. Activating the blade at the last second. The sapphire light that filled her vision, the way the photons and the plasma moved within the confines of the blade's field.  
  
Lucy dwelled on that vision. On the blade. On what it felt like, on what was within. The pieces she had fixed.  
  
And as she did so, Lucy let go of the scans she had taken. She let go of all of the work she had done so far on making the blade herself. There was only the blade she had held and what she had felt inside, the way it was formed. The beauty and elegance of the design.  
  
_Of course_ , Lucy thought.  
  
"Of course," she murmured aloud. "That's why the crystals don't work."  
  
"Lucy?"  
  
Lucy opened her eyes. Meridina was looking at her intently. "You have meditated more deeply than I have ever seen you before," Meridina said plainly.  
  
"Yeah." Lucy nodded.  
  
"And?" Meridina's lips curled into the slightest smile. "It seems to have given you new insight."  
  
She nodded again in reply. "It has."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And… I think I'm going to try something when we get back to the ship."  
  
Meridina nodded. The smile faded. "But we must do something first."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I have just spoken with Angel." Now Meridina frowned slightly. "Julia and her team are not answering communications. And the _Aurora_ is detecting a jamming field in that section of Solaris."  
  
Lucy frowned in reply. "The Solarians are going to do something about that, I hope?"  
  
"Nicholas has been in contact with their security command. They are investigating. But I believe they may be too late. We must…"  
  
"Meridina _-san_."  
  
The two looked back from their sitting positions to the door. Minoru Kurita was standing in the doorway, bowing slightly. "Forgive me for interrupting, Meridina- _san_. But Jata'kesti sent me to inform you that a street urchin has come seeking you and Lucilla Lucero. He has found your vehicle."  
  
Meridina and Lucy both stood up. "I sense you must go now," Kasszas said. " _Theezs kuzzs ta zas_ , Sisters. Creation's Light remain with you."  
  
" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , Kasszas," Meridina replied.  
  
Minoru escorted them back out to the foyer where Jata'kesti awaited with Toby. The large Jeaxian remained quiet at his place watching the young urchin. There was a slight fear in him, not so much of the alien but of the powers here, and all of the stories told about espers.  
  
"I found yar larc, Miss," he said to Lucy. "It's in a dock off Farshal Square, west side. Th' ol' Pan-Em buildin'."  
  
"Pan-Em?" Meridina looked at him intently. "As in Pan-Empyrean?"  
  
"Yair, Miss. Yaint gonna miss it, got th' winged sign 'n all. A fellow street-runner tol' me 'bout it, I went 'n grogged it, looked through th' window."  
  
The two nodded at each other. They could sense Toby was speaking the truth. Lucy promptly pulled the rest of the promised money out of her pocket and gave it to him. "Stay safe."  
  
"I grog yar worried, Miss, but I'm good." He looked over the money. "'n thanks, this'll cove some grub for me sibs."  
  
With that Toby left. "An interesting coincidence," Meridina murmured.  
  
"Maybe the theft was an inside job. Or the thieves figure nobody will look in an old Pan-Empyrean building?"  
  
"Perhaps. Or perhaps there is more to this game than we thought." Meridina tapped a couple of keys on her omnitool. "Meridina to Dale." When there was no response, she said, "Meridina to Delgado."  
  
After a moment Angel replied, " _Delgado here_."  
  
"We may have a lead. Meet me in the Sprawl. I'm relaying where we need to go. And do you know where Robert is? I can't reach him."  
  
" _The Embassy's putting him through the wringer right now to make sure the Solarians didn't fill him with nanites or screw his head up_ ," answered Angel. " _He should be out shortly, if everything's fine_. _We're on our way now._ "  
  
"We will be waiting. Meridina out." After ending the call Meridina and Lucy left the Enclave.  
  
  
  
  
At the Embassy's parking lot, Angel looked over the transport schedules and frowned. "There's no public transport heading to the Sprawl any time soon," she said to the others. "And I don't want Lucy and Meridina going in alone."  
  
"And they'll be mad if we bring a shuttle or runabout down," Cat said. "So we need to find other transportation. Maybe the Embassy can help?"  
  
"I'm not sure they will."  
  
"They probably won't."  
  
The three looked to where Robert stepped up. "I just spent hours getting all of my atoms scanned, my omnitool completely dismantled and reassembled, and my mind probed," he said, after which he scowled and added, "And then they made me take laxatives for good measure just in case the scan missed anything in the food."  
  
"Yikes," Caterina said, wincing.  
  
Robert nodded once to her and continued, "Nick left me some messages about Julia and her team going radio silent, but according to reports, that entire area's been cut off from electronic transmissions."  
  
"A jamming field, I'd say," Caterina remarked.  
  
"Meridina left me a message about a lead in the Sprawl?"  
  
"Yeah, we just talked," Angel said. "They tracked the suspect vehicle to an old Pan-Empyrean building."  
  
Robert frowned at that. "Now that sounds suspicious. And Hank did think it could be an inside job."  
  
"If it's there, though, why would someone be jamming communications from Commander Andreys' team?" Violeta asked.  
  
"It could be unrelated. Either way, Meridina and Lucy are waiting for us. And all we need is transportation that can get us there in time." Angel nodded her head toward the main doors. "Do you think the Embassy…?"  
  
"Fry wants to keep his people out of this," Robert said. "But I have an idea who to call." He activated his omnitool's communication function and put in a call number on the Sovereignty comm network. After a few moments a man of light tan complexion appeared on the screen. "Mister Chandra? This is Captain Dale of the _Aurora_. We've found a possible site for the stolen component and my people need backup. If you wouldn't mind picking us up…"  
  
  
  
  
Time had passed in the machine shop. Tired of the silence, Zack broke it by asking, "Do you think the others are coming?"  
  
"Even if they are, they may not know where to go. You heard them talk about jamming. Even if Jarod survived…" She stopped. If anyone could figure their way around such a problem, it'd be Jarod. "We have to assume that our only way out of here is to get out ourselves."  
  
"Right." Zack nodded. "Ideas?"  
  
Julia looked back up. "If our ankles weren't bound together this would be easy. But I don't think we're flexible enough to lift ourselves enough to get to the latch." She looked beyond the latch to the cord above. "They never planned for prisoners. And this stuff isn't made for holding people."  
  
"Yeah, but I bet it's made for heavy stuff, heavier than us."  
  
"Maybe, maybe not." Julia took in a breath. "Okay, on the count of three, swing back my way."  
  
"Right."  
  
"One… two… three!"  
  
Acting in concert the two began to sway their bodies in the same direction, back and forth, until they began to swing slowly. There was a metallic creak above them as they progressed. Sweat began to form from the effort and their arm muscles were hurting from the increased strain.  
  
The effort ceased without any visible success. "Dammit." Julia looked back up at it. "Okay, maybe if we… when's the last time you did pull ups?"  
  
"During the last physical training run, last week," Zack answered. "The one Leo organized. But you said we couldn't get to the latch."  
  
"No, but maybe if we bring ourselves up as high as we can and then drop, it might do something."  
  
"Yeah, like tear our shoulder joints."  
  
"Maybe, but…"  
  
"Julia, I don't think we're getting out of this." Zack drew in a breath. "These people know what they're doing. They wouldn't tie us in a way that would make it possible for us to escape."  
  
Julia frowned and turned her head instinctively, wishing she could face Zack. "We can't just give up."  
  
"No. But I don't call biding our time so we don't injure ourselves 'giving up'," Zack retorted.  
  
"If they come back into this room, it's going to be to kill us or move us," Julia replied. "This is our chance to get away. Or do you want to be that woman's plaything?"  
  
"Not necessarily."  
  
"Then we need to find a way out of here," she insisted. "So think!"  
  
  
  
  
Jarod returned to the skyscraper structure where they had been attacked, but one level below where the attack had taken place. His now gloved hands flexed while he worked up his nerve for a moment. _Here goes nothing_.  
  
After reaching to his back and the powered unit there, he pulled the climbing spikes tied to it, one for each hand, and drove them into the surface of the 'scraper just at the end of the ledge. The hardened surface material would not have given for ordinary climbing spikes, but the powered unit attached to him generated a short-range graviton effect at the edge, effectively giving a powered thrust to the spikes as they drove home. Chunks of metal and ferrocrete fell away with each strike as he rounded the corner of the building and began to climb up. The magnets now attached to his boots had come from a mod meant for people to work in Solaris' zero-G zones. There wasn't enough ferrous material in the structure to allow him to actually walk on it, but it did help secure his feet while the spikes did the bulk of the climbing work.  
  
It was not as physically taxing as normal climbing would have been, with the spikes' nature driving them home without needing much muscle power behind them. Sweat nevertheless trickled from his brow at the effort of lifting himself up and the knowledge that if his grip failed, he would likely end up splattered on the ground half a kilometer below.  
  
  
  
  
  
Hanging by your arms in a machine shop as captives to some nasty dominatrix-like lady in leather can be a trying experience, Zack was finding.  
  
Oh, he had been in danger before, of course. That feeling came whenever you went into a starship combat mission, the idle thought that you wouldn't be coming back from it. That it might be the mission where a lucky enemy shot, or just a whole lot of enemy shots, would blow you to pieces, and that would be that. But that's a different beast to the sheer, frightening uncertainty of being a captive, of not knowing what would be done to you. Would you be beaten? Killed? Something worse? And the way he had nearly felt Julia's breath pick up when that leather-wearing chick had come in told him she was just as afraid.  
  
"Still nothing?" he asked.  
  
He was answered by a growl of frustration.  
  
"If we get out of this, maybe you should take that command offer, just so this doesn't happen again," Zack suggested. In the distance, he thought he heard engine noises. Tabitha was off for whatever it was she was doing.  
  
"Zack, now isn't the time to talk about the _Enterprise_ , or anything _but_ how to get the hell out of here before that lunatic comes back," snapped Julia.  
  
"Right." He drew in a sigh and looked around again. And again, he didn't see much of anything they could do. If their ankles weren't tied together too, one of them could have easily pulled themselves up and maybe work their wrists free. But they just didn't have the freedom of movement.  
  
"We should try to swing again," Julia said. "That latch looks like it might be a little worn."  
  
Zack looked back at it. He didn't see anything like that, and chalked it up to Julia indulging in wishful thinking.  
  
So they did. They managed to get themselves rocking quite a bit, which wasn't much fun. But the latch held.  
  
"God damn thing!" Julia swore.  
  
For a moment, Zack let himself give up on the idea of rescue. He imagined that very soon, they'd be dead, or wishing they were dead, and they certainly wouldn't be in a position to talkt o each other. "Julia…"  
  
"Zack, don't start. Get ready to swing again. One… two…"  
  
They tried again. There was a slight metallic creaking. But the latch wasn't giving way.  
  
"If we don't get out of this, it might be our last chance to talk," Zack said.  
  
Julia let out a breath. "I know," she said.  
  
"Yeah, so maybe we should say what we need to."  
  
"Right." For a moment she went silent. Julia didn't want to stop fighting. She knew if she did, if she gave up, then the uncertainty, the despair, would come. And she might fall to pieces, and it might bring Zack with her. And what good would that do?  
  
Besides, she'd made a promise. She'd promised Robert, _Robby_ , that she wouldn't give up and that she would trust in him coming to save her.  
  
Zack swallowed and whet his throat. He couldn't keep his heart was doing a thud-thud as he imagined how he would say what he felt he needed to say. "I have a confession to make," he said. "And I think you should know that…"  
  
Before he could finished they heard the door creak open. They both looked toward it and were momentarily surprised to see nobody there.  
  
At least, not until it was closed. Once the door closed a figure shimmered into view.  
  
"Jarod!" Julia cried, her voice hoarse from her attempt to keep it from sounding too loud.  
  
"Well, it looks like you've been hanging around while I did all of the hard work," Jarod teased. He pulled out his pulse pistol from the small of his back, where the holster was still wedged just below the bulky power pack. He checked the setting for a moment before bringing the pistol up in both hands to look down its eyesight. A blue pulse erupted with a _whup_ sound and smacked into the hook they were bound too. The metal gave way to the sudden strike of energy and broke, freeing their wrists in the process. They fell over due to how their ankles were strapped together. Zack twisted with Julia while Jarod hurried down the steps and pulled one of his climbing spikes up from where it was attached to his waist. With a single strike he severed the straps holding their ankles together. "There. So, is this it?"  
  
"I don't know, I don't think so," Julia answered.  
  
"That lady said something about a target and finding it," Zack added. He was now standing where their omnitools and guns were laid out. He put his holster on his back and slipped the omnitool brace back into place on his arm. "This may have nothing to do with it." He tossed Julia's gun, holster, and omnitool back to her.  
  
As she put them back on, she looked to Jarod and continued, "She was one of those leather-wearing dark powers types. Like the one Miss Parker hired when she abducted you."  
  
Jarod frowned. "Did she hurt you?"  
  
"She was about to, but apparently this 'target' mattered more. But she talked about taking us back with her, and I get the feeling hurting us was part of that plan." Julia shivered at that thought. "We've been out of communication for too long. We need to get in contact with the others."  
  
"They're still jamming," Jarod said. "We'll need to get out of here. They've still gone one vehicle left that we can hijack."  
  
"Do you know how to drive these things?" Zack asked. When Jarod gave him a sardonic look he said, "Right, yeah, I forgot who I was talking to."  
  
They walked up to the door and went through it, guns out and ready. The place was a converted vehicle garage with a bank of monitors toward one end and converted sleeping places. A long rack of firearms was half-empty on that far end. Figures were arrayed back by the monitors, watching something they couldn't make out. Jarod quietly closed the door to the machine shop while Julia and Zack approached the last vehicle in the garage. With nobody in or around it they were able to slip into it, leaving the driver's seat for Jarod.  
  
Once Jarod slipped into it, he brought up his omnitool. "This is going to be a close one," he warned them while working the controls. "Here we… go!"  
  
With a button press Jarod activated a remote signal to the bay door. It immediately began to open. Zack was looking through the rear window of the hovercar - which it was to him, official name be damned - and noticed the figures by the monitors reacting. They shouted and began to jump up, still surprised for the moment.  
  
Their uncertainty vanished when Jarod brought the LARC"s anti-grav engines online. Guns were pulled and orange fire erupted across the garage. Several shots hit the rear of the vehicle, blasting metal and frame away. The occupants were pulled back across their seats by the acceleration when Jarod jammed his foot onto the accelerator. The vehicle rushed from the bay into the outside air. Jarod banked it to avoid slamming into the skyscraper opposite of the bay they'd come from and took a moment to level them out.  
  
Zack let out a whoop. "Nice going, Jarod."  
  
Julia was already trying to contact the others with her omnitool. "Still no response."  
  
"We're not out of the jamming field yet," Jarod said. "I didn't see much, but those weapons aren't the right type. I don't think that was our group."  
  
"So this might have been for nothing," Zack said.  
  
"Maybe, maybe not. Right now I just want to get a hold of the others." Julia tried her omnitool again.  
  
This time she was rewarded by a crackle. ".. _.to Andreys. Ar-... there? -ale to… -dreys, are you there?_ "  
  
With a smile, Julia nodded. "I'm here. We're safe."  
  
" _What happened?_ "  
  
"Oh, abduction, rescue, the usual," Julia answered. "Do we have any updates?"  
  
" _Meridina and Lucero may have something. Head to Farshal Square in the Sprawl._ "  
  
Julia looked to Jarod, who nodded. "We're on our way."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Sprawl was less active in the area around the Pan-Empyrean subsidiary building. There were still people moving around, but the markets were thinner here. This was an area of the Sprawl that had seen better times.  
  
Meridina and Lucy arrived in Farshal Square and looked at the four-story high structure. "I don't like the feeling of this place," Lucy said.  
  
"Nor do I. Whoever is in there may be expecting trouble." Meridina checked her omnitool. "Robert indicates they are still several minutes out. We have time to wait."  
  
Lucy nodded. Even as she did so, however, something felt… off. A sense of looming danger was filling her. She noticed the sudden look in Meridina's eyes and knew Meridina felt the same. "And if we don't, we need to figure out what to do."  
  
Meridina was already looking around, trying to sense an incoming attack.  
  
As it turned out, it wasn't an attack that was incoming.  
  
A vehicle not too different from the one they were tracking suddenly flew overhead, joined by another. One landed at the front of the building while the other hovered over it. Figures jumped from the top. Lucy felt a dark presence among them. "Uh oh," she muttered.  
  
"It would appear that something of consequence is happening," Meridina said. "And I feel it too, Lucy. There is a _swevyra'kse_ among them."  
  
The team that landed in front blasted through the front door. An explosion of debris from the top of the building said they were entering from there too. "They're definitely not the Wild Geese," Lucy said. "Someone else might be looking for that component." She pulled her _lakesh_ and extended it.  
  
"Then let us go," Meridina agreed, doing the same.  
  
With their _lakesh_ blades out, they ran toward the opened front door. A guard watching said door turned to face them only as they got close. He brought his gun up but never fired it, as Meridina sent a wave of power that tossed him back to the ground hard. They ran in and Lucy took the moment to slice the gun in half with her weapon.  
  
They were in what used to be a front office. A sign read "Pan-Empyrean Consumer Works" on one wall. "It must have been a factory or warehouse," Lucy said as they continued on, following the sounds of battle and an occasional scream of agony.  
  
Their next foe came in the corridor they entered between offices. He had a different dark suit than the first that marked him as a defending party, not attacker. He had enough range to open fire. Lucy and Meridina caught his shots with their weapons and deflected several pulses back into him, knocking the armed man over.  
  
_This way_ , Meridina urged with mentally, and Lucy followed. They found a door leading out into an open factory or warehouse area. There were signs of occupation on a long-term, like a portable stove and sleeping cots. Now they were a mess and armed men were still exchanging fire. The two went unnoticed for the moment focused. The pull of their instincts, or rather their powers, led them to notice a far door that was open. "That might lead to a rear dock. They're probably fleeing!"  
  
Getting to the far door meant rushing into the open and being exposed to a crossfire. Lucy's heart pounded for a moment at going into that kill zone, but she steadied herself, raised her blade, and joined Meridina in rushing the gauntlet. Their _lakesh_ blades sung in the air, looking almost ethereal with the faint blue of their EM fields as they moved through the air to intercept shots fired at the two women. Their opponents were firing at them and at each other, although those were often the same thing. But Meridina and Lucy did not stop. Could not stop, as stopping meant being overwhelmed.  
  
Lucy had deflected fire before, but she felt a strange ease at it. She could feel the shots coming with even greater warning time than before. Her life energy, connected by the Flow of Life to the wider cosmos, let her easily guess where the shots would go, and her arms thrummed with power as they moved with speed and grace to get her blade into positions to intercept those shots if they might harm her or Meridina.  
  
The entire mad dash lasted barely ten seconds, such was their speed in covering the gap. Soon they too were going through the door and into a hall. Three dead bodies spoke of the brief firefight as one force retreated from the other. They kept going.  
  
The other end was the loading dock. A number of armed men and women, at least half a dozen, were arrayed around a lithe male figure carrying a container, the same one from the Pan-Empyrean videos. Other armed men and women were behind cover firing at them. Even as one defender fell, the others approached the vehicle that they were going to escape in.  
  
Lucy and Meridina took a moment to concur on their attack. When they moved, their first objective was knocking out the two nearest gunmen, reducing the fire they would have to run through. Lucy let Meridina take the lead and focused on deflecting the fire coming at her.  
  
And then she felt it. The dark power surged. A laugh echoed in the room as a lovely figure in red leather dropped from the upper level right in the middle of the initial set of thieves. She had only one leather-bound stick in her hand, but the moment it pressed against one of her foes, he or she let out a scream and toppled. She took out half of the remaining defensive shooters in seconds before she turned to the one with the container. She held a hand out and he stopped in his tracks.  
  
Lucy, by this point, was focused on protecting Meridina's back from incoming fire, so it was Meridina who watched as the man struggled to move forward. But the woman in leather would not be denied. Her dark power increased and the man soon fell to a knee, gagging, as an invisible vice tightened around his throat. Meridina made the calculation immediately. The woman was the priority target, a threat to them all. She brought her _lakesh_ up, bounded over a fallen shooter, and swung it toward her.  
  
At the last moment the woman in leather twisted away. She scowled at Meridina. "A damned Magi. What are you doing after this thing?"  
  
"I am a _swevyra'se_ of Gersal," Meridina announced. "And I have come to reclaim the device for its owner."  
  
"I'm Tabitha of the Ministry of Fate, and you just made a big mistake." Tabitha lunged at Meridina with her weapon. Meridina evaded the blow and brought her blade into position to cut at the weapon. Her opponent evaded that and threw a wicked kick that nearly caught Meridina in the face and forced her to back up. She swung again and Meridina evaded, even as she felt the growing rage and frustration of her foe.  
  
The man with the container began to crawl toward the vehicle. Lucy noticed him and made a split second decision. She rushed forward, as fast as she could, and jumped over the line of defensive shooters just as they laid down fire, narrowly avoiding their shots. She flipped in mid-air and landed beside the man with the container. A swipe of her weapon cut the straps holding it to him, freeing the device. She pulled it away from him. "I've got it!"  
  
That made her the focus of a large volume of fire. Lucy put everything she had into sending the shots back to sender. Her blade became a blur of blue light and metal.  
  
Tabitha broke away from Meridina to pursue the device herself. Meridina turned to pursue before converging fire forced her to focus on the defense. She sent a mental warning to Lucy.  
  
Lucy heeded it. She saw Tabitha's attack coming and parried it, moving to her side and sending Tabitha flying.  
  
Flying, as it turned out, right into the compartment with the device, knocking it into the nearby LARC. It bounced back into the air, right in the crossfire between Lucy and the others. Multiple shots started striking it, wrecking the hinge of the container and charring much of its surface.  
  
When it finally hit the ground, it cracked open, one half spilling away, and exposed its contents.  
  
Lucy and Meridina both felt the danger first. They moved toward each other, ignoring the wrecked container. The various gunmen didn't. While some kept shooting, others rushed to seize what was inside.  
  
Before they could take more than a step or two, _something_ moved. There was a sudden surge of mass, and both Meridina and Lucy watched a _familiar_ amber mass erupt from its former imprisonment. A tentacle of amber became a hardened spike of sharp metal that pierced the throat of an armored woman who was closest to the container. The spike immediately retracted back into the amber fluid it had come from, which formed into a vicious serpent. A serpent she had seen before… on the floor of the Alliance Senate.  
  
"Oh _crap_ ," was all Lucy could say before the Changeling attacked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.

The Changeling remembered the fight in the Senate and clearly marked Lucy and Meridina as the greatest threats. Lucy saw the strike coming just in time to dodge the shapeshifter's lung for her throat. While moving her blade remained in motion as well, swinging in mid-air and deflecting another shot coming her way in the chaotic melee.  
  
Tabitha was already back to her knees and preparing to get up when she spotted the Changeling. A flicker of surprise came to her face. Whatever she had expected the container to hold, it hadn't been what was now harrying Lucy.  
  
Meridina reached out with her power and struck at the Changeling as it curled around Lucy's ankles. The Changeling stopped in mid-movement, held in place before it could finish tripping Lucy up, which in turn bought her time to step out. In turn Lucy moved her blade to deflect more fire coming toward all of them.  
  
Tabitha lunged at Meridina. She sensed the attack coming a moment too late. Tabitha's agiel pressed against her back and pain overwhelmed Meridina, causing her to cry out and topple to a knee. She let go of the Changeling.  
  
Lucy heard her cry and knew that she had just a second or two to react. She focused for a moment. She reached inside of herself for the warm power within her, the glowing connection to everything else, and drew strength from it. Just as the Changeling went for her legs Lucy jumped in the air. She flipped in mid-air and landed behind Tabitha as the vicious woman raised her weaponf or another blow on Meridina. Upon landing Lucy held her free left hand up with her palm outward, throwing. A solid wall of unseen force smashed into Tabitha and tossed her backward. She landed among the team of original thieves and rolled with the impact until she was crouched. Her weapon flashed out and struck one of her other adversaries. The gunwoman screamed and collapsed.  
  
The Changeling was already turning back toward them. Lucy sensed hesitation in it. Clearly this was a chaotic fight among different groups, and the Changeling could see the opportunity to flee. The viper turned amber again, coalescing with a slight _gloop_ into a hawk that jumped into the air.  
  
Lucy prepared to strike at it. But Tabitha was already moving again, and her target was Meridina, still recovering from what Tabitha's weapon had done to her. Lucy could sense the outcome there: Meridina would not survive.  
  
So she moved, intercepting Tabitha's raised weapon with her _lakesh_. The blade didn't destroy the agiel as she had expected it to. Tabitha's face was contorted into frustrated rage and she lashed out with her full power. Lucy got her blade up in time to catch the crackling lightning before it could strike her body.  
  
Meridina was picking herself back up from the floor at this point. She held her _lakesh_ up to deflect a few stray shots sent toward her. She sensed that the Changeling was overhead even now, but with the incoming fire and the proximity of the _swevyra'kse_ , she could not stop it.  
  
The Changeling dropped back to the floor at the bay door exit to the garage. There was a clear sense of triumph in the creature as it took a humanoid form and used fingers to operate the control panel. The door began to slide open. Meridina turned her head enough to see the sneer of triumph on the irregular humanoid face. The Changeling, without opposition, stepped into the open bay door.  
  
It never saw the LARC coming.  
  
The vehicle swooped in and slammed into the Changeling with enough force that it flew across the garage. It disintegrated into its natural gelatinous state by the time it hit the ground.  
  
The LARC twisted to the right at the last moment. The doors of the vehicle slid open. Julia and Zack came out from the passenger side and pulled out pulse pistols. They opened fire on Tabitha's troops on the far side of the garage, using the vehicle as cover Given the range and target size they had little chance of hitting, but their shots had the desired effect of forcing them to duck for cover. One put an object on the ground that expanded and created an energy field about three feet high, providing instant cover.  
  
Jarod, meanwhile, finished crawling across the front seats and left from the passenger side, using the others' covering fire to run up to the control panel. A few key presses were all that were necessary to close the door. It might have only been a second, but he knew what he'd seen. "The door's closed!" he said. "It can't get out!"  
  
"What was that thing?" Zack asked.  
  
"A Changeling," answered Jarod. He pulled his own pulse pistol out and joined Julia and Zack behind the cover of the LARC.  
  
"The second floor!" Julia shouted. The catwalk above had been empty, but now more armed figures were arriving. She didn't think they looked like Tabitha's people; they were clearly aligned with the original thieves. She held her pistol up and opened fire. Most of her shots missed, but one took one of their opponents in the shoulder and brought him or her down.  
  
Zack, nearest to the front of the LARC, opened up on one of Tabitha's armed goons attempting to move along the wall. The soldier was driven back into cover.  
  
As this part of the gunfight continued, the fight in the middle of the room was still on. Tabitha had given up on her lightning attack and was dueling with Lucy. Lucy's blade had greater reach, but Tabitha was an agile opponent and her weapon was quicker to move. Lucy fell back on the defensive. Nearby Meridina was continuing to fight defensively as well given the sheer volume of fire coming at them.  
  
_We must stop the Changeling from escaping_ , she said to the others mentally.  
  
_Agreed_ was Julia's sentiment. She kept firing on the upper catwalk with Jarod's help. One of his shots was a clean headshot, causing the soldier to topple over the catwalk.  
  
But the volume of fire didn't let up. They were driven back into cover, and that cover wasn't going to last long given that one group of their adversaries held the high ground. _These guys are pros_ , Jarod thought, and through Meridina the five _Aurora_ crew heard him. _The only reason we're not getting overwhelmed is that they're also fighting the other team.  
  
And they've got damned assault weapons_, Zack threw in.  
  
The additional complication re-asserted itself a moment later. The mass of amber fluid formed into short, four-legged scaly creature that skittered across the garage floor for the nearest LARC. Once it was under it the LARC began to shift. Suddenly the form of a massive six-limbed creature, with hardened scales and fur, appeared below it, lifting the LARC under four arms. The creature bellowed with effort and tossed the LARC toward Lucy and Meridina.  
  
Both saw it coming, as did Tabitha. All three turned suddenly and used their powers to throw the LARC upward. It slammed into the far catwalk and crushed it and the soldiers gathering there.  
  
The Changeling shifted shape again, becoming the viper, and shot toward the door control panel. Meridina turned to pursue it while Lucy was left to struggle with Tabitha. Energy fire descended around them and forced both to move back toward the remaining LARC and the bay door as well. Julia and Zack tried with frantic effort to squeeze off shots. Return fire kept them pinned in. And Julia noticed that the LARC they'd piloted in was starting to come apart from the repeated hits. Soon they wouldn't have any cover, and they would be gunned down.  
  
"Isn't Robert bringing those mercs in?!" Zack asked over the constant electronic _whup_ s and _wips_ and _WHOMs_ of weapons fire.  
  
"He is. They should be here any…"  
  
The far part of the garage door exploded inward.  
  
The vehicle that appeared in the new gap in the door was a larger LARC than the others. A protective energy field popped into place around it. Weapons fire sloughed off the sapphire energy of the field, which protected those on the inside as they poured out, weapons blazing. In the lead was a man, his cybernetics-covered face revealed by the transparent faceplate of his combat helmet. The big assault rifle in his arms began to blast away with a steady _WHOM WHOM WHOM_ , showering orange energy blasts on any target ahead of him that drove the various gunpersons back to cover.  
  
A dark-clad, lithe figure came out next. He jumped all the way up to the ruined catwalk and then to the wall. Zack and Julia watched in surprise as the figure pulled out a solid sword that looked suspiciously like a vibrating katana. The figure's free hand whipped out and there were suddenly metal blades protruding from the throat of the two nearest enemy troops. The group behind them turned to open fire, just to find that the black-clad figure had jumped to the ceiling. He ran across said ceiling for three quick steps and then jumped back down as energy fire traced his path. His trajectory brought him into the midst of his foes. He landed and spun about. Three separate heads fell in the opposite direction from bodies they had once been connected to.  
  
The third, power-suited figure that came out didn't carry a gun. But it was quickly evident that the thin woman didn't need it. She held a hand up and the firearms from the dead fighters all started to rise. They spun to face the other side and erupted in fire.  
  
Other armed figures moved around her and the lead soldier with speed, throwing enough firepower that Julia and the others found themselves freed for the moment from needing to stay in cover. They noticed Angel was with the mercs, wearing a tactical armor suit and carrying one of their firearms so she could lay down fire with the rest of them.  
  
Seeing the black-suited figure in action, Zack chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, of course, a ninja. Why not? This world is nuts already."  
  
But even as this fight turned, the Changeling was still a threat. It turned back on Meridina suddenly, just before it got to the controls. To avoid being impaled by the metal spike it formed on its body she shifted and dropped to her knees. Her hand reached out and the viper-shaped Changeling went flying back into the garage door near the control panel. This time Meridina kept her focus on it, pinning the Changeling in place.  
  
Tabitha was still occupied fighting Lucy. Lucy was struggling hard to keep up with the agile woman, who mixed her strikes up with bursts of lightning that Lucy caught with her _lakesh_. Sensing what was happening behind her, Tabitha suddenly dropped and slid away under her own power… right as Julia and Zack opened fire on her from the rear. Lucy was forced to swing her blade rapidly to reflect their shots.  
  
Tabitha, now in a good position, rolled on the ground to orientate herself toward them and threw everything she had into one large wave of force, powerful and wide enough that Lucy, Julia, Zack, and even Jarod were sent flying. She turned toward Meridina, who ducked her attack and brought her blade over to parry the next.  
  
Unfortunately, this forced her to let the Changeling go. The Changeling promptly turned into a hawk and took to the air again, heading toward the breach in the garage bay door above the LARC. It was mere seconds away from freedom.  
  
Force grabbed it and threw it against the intact part of the bay door before dragging it down. Robert was standing at the door of the attack LARC, wearing a tactical vest as well, his hand up to focus his power on holding the Changeling. Cat and Violeta moved out next, in tactical protective gear, with the former's omnitool popping into existence. Electricity zapped from it and struck the Changeling. It lost form, stunned by the shock, and became a puddle of amber on the floor. "Violeta, see if you can put together a container for it," Robert said. He could sense the enraged being, and he knew that rage, that sense. He had felt this thing before. He'd met it on the floor of the Alliance Senate, and as he thought of that, certain pieces of the puzzle clicked together.  
  
Violeta nodded and started going through the back section of the LARC to find suitable gear. Around them the battle was quickly turning against both sets of hostiles. Mr. Chandra and his Wild Geese were taking apart the opposition with practiced ease. Success was theirs.  
  
The Changeling suddenly shifted. It must have been putting all of its willpower together to move against the omnitool stunner and Robert's power. He could feel its mass coalescing into a new form. A short, eight-legged mammalian creature with wicked teeth. It bounded out of the shock field and rushed on Cat and Robert.  
  
Caterina held a second longer than Robert expected. But she flinched in the end. He couldn't blame her; he blamed himself for bringing her on a mission like this, and he wished he'd known it was a Changeling given what Cat went through on 33LA. But it was too late for such considerations. Caterina moved, trying to get away, and the electrical shock dissipated. The Changeling moved with renewed strength and Robert found he couldn't easily hold it. The tongue of its animal form lashed out with a shape-shifted metal spike at the end. He had to duck to evade it, costing him his concentration. The Changeling was free.  
  
For a couple of seconds, anyway, before Angel and Jason Chandra both opened fire on it. Large orange pulses of energy, accompanied by the _WHOM WHOM WHOM_ of their weapons, slammed into the creature. It rippled and shifted from the impacts, which formed amber patches as the creature lost its shape from the attack. Robert called out "Stop!", but he already knew it was too late. The fire continued on for another second until entire thing disintegrated into ash.  
  
Tabitha had her own problems. Meridina was holding her at bay with ease, and she could sense Lucy coming up behind her and Julia and the others bringing guns to bear on her. Tabitha turned away from Meridina and backed up toward the wall, facing Meridina and Lucy's blades and the guns in the hands of Julia, Jarod, and Zack. Meridina sensed Tabitha's recognition of her situation and said, "You know this battle is lost, dark one. Surrender."  
  
That drew a snarl. "We don't surrender," Tabitha declared.  
  
And then for a brief moment she yelped, in absolute pain, even as Meridina cried out, "No!", after which Tabitha's body folded lifelessly onto the floor.  
  
Jarod scanned the remains. "My God," he murmured, looking at the results on his omnitool. "Whatever she did, it destroyed her brain. It literally liquified the entire organ in seconds."  
  
"I sensed the thought," Meridina said. Her face was pale. "I sensed her death. It was a… compulsion. She recognized imminent capture and it triggered something."  
  
"A suicide pill or module in her head." Julia shook her head and looked down at the cruel woman who had been ready to torment her and Zack. "That's a nasty way to go, too."  
  
By now it was clear the fighting was over. Robert and the others approached them. "Well, someone's decked out for action," Jarod teased.  
  
Zack winked at Cat. "You look a bit small for that tactical gear."  
  
She smiled back. "Yeah. But they wouldn't let us come without it."  
  
"The Changeling is dead?" Meridina asked Robert. He nodded and looked briefly to Angel.  
  
Angel reacted by frowning. "It was going after you and Cat. I had to put it down."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. But I had questions." Robert looked to Jarod. "Jarod, see if you can find anything on the thieves. Go, now."  
  
"I shall attend him," Meridina said. She nodded to Jarod and followed.  
  
Julia could see the mood on Robert's face. "What is it?"  
  
"The Changeling was the package, wasn't it?" he asked. "It was the 'component'."  
  
Lucy nodded. "Meridina and I saw it come out of the container. Unless there was another like it, yeah."  
  
"So there wasn't a device?" Zack asked. He was frowning now. "They sent us after a Goddamned _Changeling_ without warning us?"  
  
"That's not like Admiral Maran," Julia said. "I can't believe he left us out in the cold on that."  
  
"He may not have had a choice," Angel said. "These Solarians have a reputation. A bad enough one that the Embassy had a telepath deep-scanning Robert's mind for two hours just to make sure President Sinclair didn't brainwash him."  
  
"That would mean…"  
  
Julia stopped speaking at hearing the footsteps behind them. Robert turned and noted who was approaching. "Everyone, this is Captain Jason Chandra, head of the Wild Geese team." He indicated the man who had jumped out of the assault LARC first, with the cybernetic implants covering parts of his face. Chandra's light tanned skin was only showing a few hints of sweat despite the heavy fighting. "And Scirocco Montague, the team's expert psion."  
  
Everyone nodded in reply. Lucy eyed Scirocco carefully. She could sense that the woman had a lot of power.  
  
"Good job, everyone," Chandra said. "You held them long enough for us to get here." He eyed Robert. "You've got a good team, Captain."  
  
"I'm not sure how much of our holding them was because there were two different teams fighting each other," Julia mentioned.  
  
"Given they were all retired combat-dedicated Replicants? You didn't do half bad regardless." While Chandra was being personable, Robert could sense he was also being flattering intentionally. "The rest of my team are sweeping the building. Mr. Hank will be displeased to learn that his decommissioned factory was used by the thieves. It's a slap in the face."  
  
"I can imagine feeling that way." Robert eyed the mound of ash that had once been the Changeling. "He's not going to be happy about losing his 'component', though. Nor will my superiors." He looked back to Chandra's face and met him eye to eye.  
  
"Couldn't be helped," Chandra replied. There was no flinching. "We had to put that thing down before it escaped out into Solaris."  
  
"Since I'm pretty sure it's the same Changeling that infiltrated the Alliance, I can understand. The last thing we needed was it getting home to the Dominion to report. Thank you for the help again, Captain Chandra."  
  
"Thank you for pointing the way, Captain Dale." Chandra seemed to look into space for a moment. "I've got a transport LARC coming to take you back to the Alliance Embassy. I'm sure you'll want to debrief your people and give Mister Hank a report on our hunt. I'll send my own as soon as we secure the sight."  
  
"Given all the shooting, shouldn't the Solaris government forces be showing up?" Zack asked.  
  
To that, Chandra smirked. "We've already informed the Max-Tec troopers this was an internal Pan-Empyrean manner. They'll be staying away."  
  
"Right." Robert nodded.  
  
With nothing more to say, the two Wild Geese stepped away.  
  
"I don't like this," Lucy said. "I really don't."  
  
"We'll see if Jarod or Meridina find anything before that vehicle gets here. Whether they do or not, we're heading back to the ship immediately for dinner and a debriefing."  
  
  
  
  
Meridina led Jarod back toward the interior of the building to an area where the team of thieves seemed to have been living. Jarod moved into the room and began scanning everything with his omni-tool.  
  
At first nothing seemed untoward. It was only after a few minutes that Meridina felt a dark presence in the room. It wasn't entirely darkness, not like the _swevyra'kse_ they'd just fought, but the energy was certainly cold and negative. She sensed with her power and drew her _lakesh_ up just in case.  
  
"That will not be necessary," an electronic voice said.  
  
The dark-clad figure that had moved so lethally earlier was nearby at the wall. Meridina narrowed her eyes. She hadn't seen him enter, or sensed him entering for that matter. She certainly would have if he'd come in by the door. The only door there was, too. "You are?" she asked.  
  
"Matsudaira," was the answer, the electronic voice warbling ever so slightly to give the man an otherworldly feel. "I work for Mr. Hank. Captain Chandra says your ride home has arrived and it is time for you to go. This building is Pan-Empyrean property and we will handle the investigation from this point forward."  
  
Meridina considered the figure. She felt no ill intent, but she could sense the lethal capabilities of this being. If resisted, he might act with immediate lethality to uphold the commands of his superior. And he would be a fight if it came to matching him blade to blade, and Jarod would be at risk.  
  
"It appears it's time to go, Jarod," Meridina said softly.  
  
He looked up from a computer he apparently wasn't finished with. He noticed Matsudaira too and narrowed his eyes. Meridina felt his suspicions and nodded. They would, indeed, leave.  
  
With slight resignation, as if leaving his work undone, Jarod walked out of the room with Meridina.  
  
  
  
  
_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 10 September 2642 AST. Captain Robert Dale recording. Our investigation on Solaris has come to a successful, if unsatisfying, conclusion. My officers and I have returned to the_ Aurora _to go over the results of today's mission. There are lingering questions I wish to see answered, though I wonder if they ever will be._  
  
  
  
The command officers of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ , with Lucy and Violeta also present, were gathered in Conference Room 1 instead of the conference lounge. The tables were arranged in a half-circle around the central holo-tank. "It's good to see you're well, sir," Lt. Creighton Apley said to Zack. "We were a little worried about you going down there."  
  
"Yes, it has been a while since you were in the field like that," Lt. Magda Navaez added.  
  
Zack nodded to them. "It was… an experience."  
  
"Especially the ratburger," Jarod said from his seat at the table, the holo-tank controls in front of him.  
  
The _Koenig_ officers, and the _Aurora_ ones, looked at Zack as he turned red-faced. "Yeah, I got a little hungry, but I didn't know it was made from rat, alright!"  
  
"We just won't tell Clara about the three-breasted prostitute who propositioned him," Julia added, smirking with mischievous relish.  
  
Zack gave her a pained look and breathed out a sigh while the others still stared.  
  
After checking one last thing, Robert sat up. "Alright everyone," he said. "This mission is considered a classified one, so anything said in this debriefing stays in this room." He nodded to Violeta and to Lucy. "Commander Jarod, what do we know about the thieves who attacked Pan-Empyrean?"  
  
"They were a mercenary team known as Harland's Raiders," Jarod replied. "They tend in the independent Wild Space worlds and the Cevaucian-aligned systems, but they were registered with the Solarian government as far as we can tell."  
  
"Who were th' scunners workin' for?" Scotty asked. "The Dominion? Lookin' t' get their spy back?"  
  
"Unlikely," Jarod said. "From what I've seen of the financials I recovered, a Dominion source doesn't work. I find it hard to believe the Dominion even knew where the Changeling had gone. Even looking in our own databanks, its location is tightly classified."  
  
"We sent it to Sidney Hank," Julia said. "Or to his company, I mean. Why?"  
  
"The answer's frakking obvious, isn't it?" Barnes asked. "They're making some anti-Changeling weapons or something."  
  
"But why contract to Pan-Empyrean?" Caterina shook her head. "There are plenty of research firms or universities in the Alliance."  
  
"Because this was experimenting on a living being," Leo said. There was an angry edge to his voice. "That's the point of this. The Alliance Government didn't want to be directly associated with something like that. So they contracted someone who didn't give a damn, in a state where the law couldn't stop it." It was clear Leo was disappointed by the realization.  
  
"A saddening probability, but likely true," Meridina agreed. She shook her head. "And undoubtedly Mister Hank was compensated well for his part in such experiments."  
  
"Of course, whatever project they were working on is going to be missing its guinea pig." Locarno made that comment. "So it's all for nothing in the end."  
  
Robert thought about that. But he said nothing for the moment. He looked to Jarod. "What about this other group, let by that woman Tabitha?"  
  
"The soldiers were more Solarian-made Replicants," Jarod replied. "But I've found no identifying unit markings or indications of them in public files. They were probably assembled individually by Tabitha."  
  
"She worked for something called the Ministry of Fate. Or NEUROM."  
  
Jarod nodded to Zack. "NEUROM. It's an alliance of various governments closer to the heart of what was Earth-held space millennia ago. Our records on them are spotty. What we know from various sources is that they're an alliance of xenophobes, militarists, and dictatorships that serve as a major power bloc in that region of space, now called the Fracture. They have few relations with star nations in this region of space, and most of them can be fairly hostile. They don't really like Solarians and the Solarians don't really like them."  
  
"So basically a rival power bloc had an agent who got wind of the theft and decided it might have something useful," Julia said. "So Tabitha was going to swipe what she probably thought was a piece of advanced technology for the benefit of NEUROM."  
  
"Likely," Jarod agreed.  
  
"And instead, they nearly wrecked each other and us in the progress." Zack shook his head. "All for a damn Changeling."  
  
"Maybe it got lucky by dying," Leo murmured. "There's no telling what's been done to it."  
  
"Yeah." Robert was slipping back into his thoughts, putting things together in his head. "Jarod, what do we know about who hired Harland's Raiders?"  
  
Jarod tapped a key and brought up a series of financial transactions. "They were paid a lot of money over the last few months. A lump sum of what seems to have been a retainer was placed with them three months ago. I'm not sure where they learned of that Pan-Empyrean factory, but odds are their client selected it."  
  
"It's sounding like it is someone from Pan-Empyrean," Julia said. "I'd bet my commission that if we matched up those payment dates with our side's logs on moving the Changeling, we'll find that the retainer was placed after the contract was signed and the Changeling delivered."  
  
"That would imply that whoever was behind the theft wanted the Changeling, wouldn't it?" This question came from Apley. "Why would they want a Changeling?"  
  
"If they thought they could mentally program it to serve them, maybe?" Angel suggested idly.  
  
Everyone was starting to look again to Robert, who was still clearly thinking about everything. Julia was also showing signs of deep thought. "Jarod, is it possible the thieves had absolutely no contact with someone in Pan-Empyrean?"  
  
"I'm doubtful, but I suppose it could have been an ex-employee," Jarod answered. "I'd have to examine the list of people who knew about the project and if they had any connection to someone fired or let go from the company. What I can tell you from analysis of the evidence is that Harland's Raiders knew too much about Pan-Empyrean security for me to assume they didn't have someone on the inside. Someone with access to the floor plans in use in the labs and the location of the Changeling."  
  
"So it's not going to be a disgruntled janitor."  
  
"They have robots for that work, there are no janitors," Zack pointed out.  
  
Julia looked to Robert with concern. She could see the metaphorical thunderclouds rolling in over his face. "It's not really our investigation anymore anyway. This is up to Hank's people."  
  
"Yeah," he answered. "It is." A frown crossed his face. "And that was the plan all along, I figure."  
  
"What do you mean?" Caterina asked.  
  
"I keep thinking back to things that have been said these past couple of days," Robert remarked. "About how Solaris works. I think we've been had. We've been used as patsies."  
  
Jarod turned thoughtful as well. He nodded in agreement. "I can see that."  
  
"I'm going back down to Solaris," Robert said. "The rest of you, go get some rest. You've earned it. Debriefing dismissed." He stood up and walked to the door.  
  
Julia nearly left behind him, but noticed Zack's intent look toward her and stayed in her seat. Once everyone had left she asked, "You wanted to talk?"  
  
"We never did finish that conversation when we were hanging around," Zack said.  
  
Julia nodded. She smiled thinly. "I don't see any reason why we need to now, Zack. There's no point in admitting anything uncomfortable."  
  
"Maybe." He nodded. His eyes focused on her. "I guess you're right." He stood up from his chair and started walking toward the door.  
  
"Does she know?"  
  
Julia's question prompted Zack to turn back. He looked at her wordlessly.  
  
"Does Clara know?" Julia looked at him intently. "Does she know that you're still in love with me?"  
  
Zack's eyes lowered. "I'm sure she suspects," he admitted.  
  
Julia responded by shaking her head. "She deserves better than that."  
  
"You're right." He nodded. "She does. And I'm going to give her all the love she deserves. I love her too, you know."  
  
"But you love me more."  
  
Zack pursed his lips. "It's not fair to her," he said. "So I make myself forget it. Maybe in a decade or two, I'll even be able to forget it."  
  
Without another word, he walked out and left Julia to her thoughts.  
  
  
  
  
Robert surprised Ambassador Fry and his staff at the parking lot of the Alliance Embassy when he beamed back in. Fry, his husband, and his staff were dressed to the nines and heading to a SinTEK-hosted charity banquet, and it was with great reluctance that Fry agreed to let one of his drivers ferry Robert back to Pan-Empyrean.  
  
When he got there, Robert had expected an argument all the way up with every layer of security. Instead he found Bishop waiting at the security desk, ready to escort him up to the main office. Ariadne was likewise quiescent when Robert walked briskly up to the door and, with a wave of his hand, threw them both open.  
  
He found Sidney Hank sitting at his desk. The wealthiest man in this universe, perhaps of any of the known universes, had an empty tumbler and a bottle of tan liquid on his desk. A tumbler already filled was already in his hand. He made a show of checking his timepiece. "I expected you ten minutes ago," he said. "I suppose Ambassador Fry took some extra convincing. I may have underestimated the Ambassador's desire to keep you in check." He took the bottle and poured some of the contents into the tumbler. "I figured bourbon would better fit our impending conversation."  
  
Robert wasn't in the mood to drink, but he wasn't so angry as to forget niceties. He accepted the tumbler and, after sensing no danger in it, took a drink to take the edge off.  
  
"Excellent work today, Captain. Captain Chandra was impressed by your people."  
  
"I'm glad he appreciates my friends' efforts on your behalf," Robert replied.  
  
"I'm sure you can imagine why you weren't informed about the nature of the component?"  
  
"You didn't want Sinclair to find out," Robert said. "Or anyone else who might enter our minds."  
  
"Mostly the latter. I am enjoined, after all, to keep the project a secret." Hank took the last drink from his tumbler and set it down on his desk. "It's all part of the contract."  
  
"Pan-Empyrean was contracted to experiment with the Changeling we captured during the attack on the Alliance Senate," Robert stated. "Admiral Maran told me it was a matter vital to Alliance security. What he meant was that you're finding ways to fight Changelings."  
  
Hank's mouth curled into slight smile. "Are you sure that's it?"  
  
Robert thought for a moment and shook his head. "No. No, not just fight. To _detect_ Changelings."  
  
The smile grew. Hank nodded. "Go on."  
  
"And then the Changeling gets snatched from your labs. Not the devices you're developing. Nothing of obvious and immediate value. The thieves go for an item in a sealed container that their sensors would have to tell them didn't include anything like electronics or precious materials. They do this with clear knowledge of the layout of Pan-Empyrean's labs. Which is impressive given your building uses a dimensionally-transcendental field that changes the internal volume from what it looks like outside." Robert took another quick sip of the bourbon. "That suggests someone inside the company was involved. But anyone inside the company who knows about the project would know of other, more valuable things to snatch than the Changeling. Why not the devices you're working on? Why not the actual project?"  
  
"Ransom?" Hank suggested. "I could be compelled to pay billions to recover the test subject. The contract has some severe penalties for failure to deliver, after all. Not to mention what would happen if the Sovereignty government were to find out that I had brought a hostile, shapeshifting alien to the heart of Solaris. The idea of anyone, especially a Senator or the President, being replaced due to my apparent negligence would be enough to cripple my influence for decades, maybe even centuries. My competitors would all gain at my expense."  
  
"I'm not sure even a Founder could effectively replace President Sinclair, or anyone with similar security," Robert answered. "Kill them, maybe, but replace? With all of your psions and mind-readers constantly checking things? But that's beside the point. The mercs' employer waited until now for the theft. Why? Why risk that your scientists might make an early breakthrough and finish the project? Those mercs were on retainer for _months_. They were held back intentionally. That doesn't make sense if their boss was looking to hold the Changeling ransom."  
  
Hank answered by pouring himself another glass. "I see your point. I take it you've recovered some of their financial information?"  
  
"Enough to know they've been waiting in that abandoned Pan-Empyrean building for nearly three months," Robert said.  
  
"Do you know where the money came from?" Hank took a sip. "No, you don't. Commander Jarod is good at his job, good enough that I'd enjoy hiring him myself, but he simply doesn't have the resources or access to go through Solarian financial databases to track those payments. Our banks are quite good at security, for understandable reasons."  
  
"They are."  
  
"You should therefore leave the investigation to my people," Hank said. "We'll get to the bottom of this easily enough."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you will," Robert said, and he let the sarcasm come out.  
  
Hank folded his hands and looked directly at Robert, as if Robert had suddenly earned his full attention.  
  
"The weight of evidence makes it highly unlikely that the thieves didn't have someone inside your company," Robert said. "Stealing the Changeling and not the actual project means it wasn't someone out to betray you so they could sell your work elsewhere. The ransom argument doesn't hold out because of the months the mercs waited before they received their orders to move in."  
  
"And so what does the evidence lead you to, Captain?"  
  
"The evidence, by itself, isn't enough for me to go to any court of law, even if Solaris had one strong enough." Robert leaned forward in his chair. "But that doesn't mean I can't see what's happened here. This was a set-up, the whole thing. _You_ were behind the theft."  
  
A very slight grin crossed Hank's face. He picked up the tumbler again to take a drink from it, as if the accusation amused him. "Well, Captain," he said after swallowing. "That is quite brave of you to come here and accuse me in the middle of my office, at the heart of my empire."  
  
"I can't prove it, and I'll never be able to," Robert said.  
  
"Of course." Hank considered his tumbler for a moment, as if he was trying to decide to finish it first or pour more in. "For sake of argument, if it was me… why? Why did I have my own company broken into, my employees terrorized, and my very expensive project endangered? Why, indeed, risk the outcome we have, the death of my test subject, and with it the collapse of the entire project?"  
  
"Because the project's not going to collapse," Robert answered. "That's why you kept the mercs on retainer for so long before giving the order. Your people have already completed their work. You've found a way to detect Changelings. The Changeling wasn't necessary anymore. It was just a loose end."  
  
Hank remained quiet for a moment. With quiet deliberation he finished the last of his bourbon and set the tumbler down. Once his hands were free, he started to clap slowly. "Well done, Captain." When Robert frowned Hank shook his head. "No, I'm not mocking you. You and your crew put together the facts quite well, and your deductions from them were earned. And I must assure you, your President Morgan and Minister Hawthorne and Admiral Maran will be quite pleased when I report to them the completion of our new Changeling Form Destabilizer. It will take a short time to implement and then your people will never have to worry about one of those Founders replacing a Senator again. And I, of course, will be making quite a _lot_ of money on finishing development. Oh, and by building my share of the devices under the terms of our contract with the Alliance. I think you will agree that this is a victory for your Alliance, for Pan-Empyrean and the Sovereignty… indeed, for the entire Multiverse."  
  
Robert took another drink and swallowed it, leaving just a thin layer of bourbon at the bottom of his tumbler. "I can't argue with that. The Changelings caused us one interstellar war, then nearly caused us to collapse into civil war."  
  
"And it will not happen again," Hank said, beaming. "So as you can see, it is a victory for the _good guys_." The playful emphasis on the last words were almost mocking.  
  
"I can't argue with that either." Robert drank the last little bit of bourbon and pushed the tumbler to his right, signifying he didn't want more. He kept his eyes on Hank. "Of course, that doesn't explain one last thing."  
  
"Oh?" Hank's smile made it clear he knew what Robert was about to bring up.  
  
"This morning, Ambassador Fry pointed out to me that a man of your resources could hire all sorts of independent investigators and mercenaries," Robert said. "Even if you were keeping up the charade of having to deal with a possible traitor, you didn't need us. But you called us in. Not just us as in the Alliance, but _my_ ship specifically. My crew. Why?"  
  
Hank seemed contemplative for a moment. "I suppose that is a fair question. Suffice to say I had my reasons."  
  
"Even if we had discovered what you were doing? What if the Changeling hadn't gotten killed? Or would Captain Chandra have shot us too to make sure it was killed?"  
  
"Oh, no," Hank said, ignoring the rising anger in Robert's tone. "I had no intention of causing your people to die. If the Changeling had somehow been recaptured, I would have found another way to dispose of it, I suppose. Although I would have been disappointed with Captain Chandra for not figuring out a way to ensure it was 'killed while attempting escape'. That one's always a classic."  
  
"Then why? Dammit, _why_?" Robert demanded. "I want to hear it from you. Why did you pull us in, risk the lives of _my_ crew, _my friends_ , to do _your_ dirty work?!"  
  
At that Hank actually broke out laughing. Robert was left to smolder as the laughter continued on for several seconds. When it ended Hank rolled his eyes. "Oh, spare me your indignation, Captain. Let's remember one crucial fact." He held up a finger. " _Your people_ hired _my people_ to do _your_ dirty work in the first place. After all, the high and mighty Alliance wouldn't dare use an unwilling living being as a test subject for experiments, even to defend against an enemy like the Dominion. That wouldn't be right. No, the Alliance needed someone else to do the actual dirty work it couldn't sully its hands with." He curled the finger inward. "So you came to _me_."  
  
"I didn't make that decision," Robert said.  
  
"No. Your superiors did. Your noble President Morgan and your honorable Admiral Maran made that call. They decided to compound their hypocrisy with cowardice and pay me to do the things they didn't have the stomach to do." Hank's eyes glared right at Robert's. "Let us not speak falsely now, Captain, not when we have been truthful with each other so far. I know what I am. Your government knows what I am, which is precisely why they came to me. And now you know what I am, too, which raises the only question of any relevance here: what are you going to do about it?"  
  
"There's nothing I can do about it," Robert admitted. "But that doesn't mean I have to like the fact that you almost got my friends killed to, what, make a point?"  
  
"Ah, but it was a necessary point to make, Captain. And that point is: I am not your, what was that old Earth term…?" Hank seemed to search his memory for a moment. "Ah, yes, I am not your _janitor_. The Alliance brought me in to do its dirty work and I felt obligated to return the favor."  
  
"Really? Because I thought that's what you were already getting _paid_ to do?" Robert snorted in retort.  
  
"I imagine that a man as morally upright as you, Captain, understand that there are more important things than money," Hank answered. "I do value it, but I also value my self-respect. And I am no one's servant. And your Alliance would do well to remember that."  
  
Robert remained silent. He still felt anger, but it was down to a simmer.  
  
If Hank knew this, he ignored it and settled back into his chair as if in repose. "I admit I wasn't expecting NEUROM to stick its hand into this mess in such a direct fashion," he admitted. "I may actually have to hunt for a traitor in my organization. So perhaps this situation has led me to an additional benefit."  
  
"They nearly hurt my closest friends in the world," Robert said.  
  
"I know." Hank put his hands on his lap. "For what it's worth, I never intended that to happen. And I am thankful your friends emerged from their encounter with the Ministry of Fate intact. Few are so lucky."  
  
"I'll extend the sentiment to them."  
  
"You do that." Hank checked his timepiece again, although Robert got the feeling that was simply for show. "And now, Captain, I think it's time for you to depart. The fee that President Sinclair imposed upon me is, frankly, quite extortionate, and I suspect the commanders are getting itchy trigger fingers."  
  
Robert stood up. "So that's it then?" he asked. "You bring us out here, you subject us to your political feuds, you put our lives on the line without warning us of what's going on, and when we've done your work you just send us packing?"  
  
"Such is the way of things, Captain. But don't think you're unappreciated. You and your people have performed to expectations, and I assure you those expectations were high." Hank grinned. "And another way to look at it is that I am urging you onward so that you might get back to your duties. After all, where would this Multiverse be without the bold crew of the _Starship Aurora_ , the Bearers of the Dawn?"  
  
For a moment Robert thought Hank was just making light of what had come out during Meridina's trial on Gersal. But there was something in the way Hank said it that, briefly, made him wonder just what Hank was getting at. Seeing the look on the business tycoon's face turn slightly impatient made Robert set those thoughts aside. He nodded, said, "Have a good evening, Mister Hank," and turned to leave.  
  
As he walked away, Hank spoke once more. "And remember, Captain, that if you ever need a favor… don't hesitate to call me."  
  
Robert didn't answer that. He didn't even turn around. He had a feeling that he would not appreciate being indebted to Mister Sidney Hank. He departed through the doors at the end of the office, intent on returning to the _Aurora_.  
  
A few moments after he left, Hank stood from his desk. He opened a direct data connection to Ariadne with a thought. "I'm departing for the villa. I don't want to be disturbed until the morning," he said aloud, though it was unnecessary.  
  
_Understood, Mister Hank_.  
  
He walked around his desk to the second floor of his office. He ignored the fine, exquisite artworks he had arrayed there. Michelangelo's _David_ (fully intact), Nelson's Plinth, and a number of other key antiquities. He ignored them all and walked to the section of the second floor above the entry door and to the large mirror that was there. A mental command sent by data implant activated the advanced technology hidden under the surface. The mirror started to ripple, as if the glass surface was suddenly fluid. And he stepped right through.  
  
  
  
  
When Lucy returned to Machine Shop B and her work station there, it was with a new purpose. She looked over her crystal types and focused on them. Most, she felt, wouldn't work whatever she did. But there were a few…  
  
She focused with her life energy, her connection to the Flow of Life, and let those senses guide her. She felt Swenya's Blade hum in her mind, she felt its internals work as they had when she repaired them. And she _knew_ , without needing anything like an atomic scan, what would work. She knew as she felt the crystals through her power and felt the subtle thrum in some of them.  
  
She turned next to the parts. Some she would keep. Others… she would have to redo.  
  
And with renewed purpose, she went to work, quietly thanking Kasszas and Meridina for her new insight.  
  
  
  
  
When Robert got back to the _Aurora_ , he headed to the bridge. Despite the day they'd had, most of the senior staff was assembled. Even Zack was standing near the command chairs, and was looking toward Cat while talking. "...seriously, it really wasn't that bad."  
  
Caterina visibly shuddered. "I would have to be starving to eat rat meat. I'm so sorry you didn't get to have as much fun as we did."  
  
"I'm surprised you don't have to take out a loan for all the shopping you did," Angel said.  
  
"I have some money saved up. And Violeta had that birthday money her parents sent." She turned her attention back to Zack. "Do you know they call pizzas 'yum discs' on Solaris?"  
  
"That's… well, weird I guess," Zack said. "But the whole world is weird."  
  
"It was crazy," Angel muttered. "And then there was that crazy lady who wanted to put us in a holo-movie or something. And that…" A look of realization came to Angel's face. She looked to Zack and smirked while reaching for her pockets. "I got you something, Zack. A gift."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Zack's reflexes were spot on. He grabbed the box out of mid-air after Angel threw it and held it up to his face. As he did, Angel chuckled and said, "Something for you and Clara to enjoy on your next leave. It's special Solarian candy."  
  
"What is it?" Julia stood and looked closer at the box. Her cheeks turned a faint pink at seeing the design of the contents within. "Angel!"  
  
"'ORGAZMO'?" Zack looked on the reverse side and read the descriptive text before he looked over the pictures of the offered flavors, revealing the shape of the candy. "Oh, no. No, hell no."  
  
Angel started to laugh. Robert, curious, got close enough to look at the box and see the offending shape. "Wow," he said. "That's… that's just…"  
  
"This world is _insane_ ," Zack said. "Certifiable! They should just give up and make it a big insane asylum! _I'm not eating this!_ "  
  
"Clara might be disappointed," Angel cooed.  
  
"Alright everyone." Robert sighed and sat in his command chair. This signaled Julia and Zack to do likewise - Zack sitting in the extra chair in the command area - and for everyone to resume full attention. "We don't have new orders from Admiral Maran yet, but I'm assuming we're resuming our colony tour. Nick, get a course from System Traffic Control to leave orbit. I want a course ready for Farbanti, Warp 9.2, once we're at a safe distance."  
  
"Aye, Captain. Course plotted and set. System Traffic Control is giving us a course to leave orbit." Locarno smirked. "And we've got full right of way this time. I guess they can't wait to get rid of us."  
  
"Or Mister Hank made arrangements." Julia grinned. "You know, as insane as the place is…" She looked at the holo-viewscreen showing the sight of the city-moon and of the mighty starscrapers that breached its atmosphere. "...it's a wonderful place to look at. I wonder if there's anything else out there like it."  
  
"Maybe we'll find out one day," Robert said, grinning. "Nick, take us out."  
  
The _Starship Aurora_ turned gracefully away from the city-moon and accelerated, threading her way through the traffic around Solaris on her way home.  
  
  
  
  
Although the city-moon was often called Solaris, it was in fact officially Solaris Minor. Solaris Major was the large gas giant that the city-moon circled, a large-scale gas giant with shades of blue and purple adding color to the spaces around the moon. The equatorial sections of the gas giant were littered with gas-mining stations sucking up helium-3 and other gases of interest to the Solarian economy.  
  
The poles were a different story. Under current Solarian law, the space around the poles had been restricted from all development or unauthorized traffic. The official reason was to preserve the gas giant's delicate polar regions from ruinous gas mining.  
  
The unofficial reason was because Sidney Hank said so.  
  
Granted, the southern polar region wasn't important to him. It was just to keep people from wondering why one pole was off limits and not the other. It was the northern polar orbit that he wanted to keep people away. There, protected by stealth fields and emission deflectors and subspace gravitic shunts, was his personal home, his private place to get away from the annoyances of Solaris and the Sovereignty. The Villa _Straylight_.  
  
He was still in his business suit when he stopped into the viewing deck. From here, at the top levels of the large space habitat that he and he alone dwelled upon, he could look out at Solaris and ponder his plans for it. Untold centuries of work and the city-moon still frustrated him sometimes.  
  
It couldn't be avoided, he supposed. People want to do their own things. They want to command their own destinies, even if they were morons who didn't know better. For all of the power he wielded, he couldn't stop that. Not yet, anyway. At least, not without taking measures that he had rejected in the old Earthsphere, or rather the Fracture, necessitating his withdrawal from those spaces oh so long ago.  
  
No, the only way to really lead was to make people think they were doing the leading, not you.  
  
But he wasn't here to watch Solaris. At a mental command the viewing systems zoomed in, zipping past all the other transports and liners and space yachts until they brought up the view of the _Starship Aurora_. Hank decided she really was a magnificent vessel. The four warp nacelles, long and sleek, and the shape of her hulls as they flowed together made her look fast despite her kilometer-long size. The green and white stripe along the sides added color to her azure hull. He could make out the ports for her starfighter launch tubes and the various lights and openings in the hull. She banked away slowly, the angle revealing the hanger deck for her fighters and the shuttle bay and full-sized dock built into the back of her primary hull. Her impulsor drives thrummed with ruby light as they propelled her the final kilometers beyond Solaris before she was ready to go to warp.  
  
And then she did, with a brilliant flash of light from her warp nacelles.  
  
Another mental command through his data implant brought the display back of the ship. Again he admired the lines. He accessed old memories and sighed at the sight. "So here we are," he breathed. "After all this time… and it's going to happen again, isn't it?" He picked up a glass of Parthegon brandy. "Well, I'd best get prepared…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of Sidney Hank's dialogue was provided by Siege from Omniverse One, the creator of the character.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aurora crew visits the city-moon of Solaris and gets caught in a game of intrigue with an enigmatic billionaire.

**Tag**  
  
  
  
  
Robert stepped out of the shower with his bathrobe on and rushed to his desk, where his finger stabbed down on the key. "Dale here."  
  
" _Channel from Admiral Maran, sir._ "  
  
"Put him through." Robert sat down and looked to his desk monitor. Maran's face appeared. "Good morning, Admiral," he said.  
  
" _Good morning, Captain_." Maran put his hands together in front of him. He seemed to consider himself for a moment before saying, " _I've read your report and Commander Andreys'. And I owe you an apology._ "  
  
"I understand why you couldn't say what was going on," Robert said. "It might complicate the project with Pan-Empyrean if the Solarian government got involved. I'm sure they would."  
  
" _Yes, they would. But that's not the only thing to apologize to you about, Captain._ "  
  
"You don't need to apologize for sending the Changeling to Hank, sir," Robert said. "That wasn't your decision alone. I'm sure a lot of people in Portland agreed that the ends would justify the means. And given what the Changelings could still do to us…"  
  
" _Yes. But I won't pretend that what we did was right. Morally, it was wrong. And I will have to live with that_." Maran shook his head. " _And many other decisions. Some of them being mine and mine alone_."  
  
At that moment, Robert knew exactly what Maran was saying. "You approved it, didn't you? Admiral?"  
  
" _Not the specifics. But yes._ " Maran nodded. " _And I acted without President Morgan's input. The guilt is mine alone_."  
  
"I see."  
  
" _I had no idea that Sidney Hank would drag you and your crew in, though._ " Maran's face had a stoic look as always, but Robert could hear the creak in his voice that spoke of how much he had been horrified by what happened. " _I can only ask your forgiveness._ "  
  
For a moment Robert said nothing. He didn't know what he could say. Was it his place to be Admiral Maran's… confessor? Could he say anything to change what had been done? For so long he had seen Admiral Maran as a completely moral man, with values and principles that he would never turn away from. But now he had. The threat had, to him, justified it.  
  
"I'm not sure I'm the one who can forgive, sir," Robert said. "But I will anyway. It can't have been easy."  
  
" _No. It never was._ " Maran sighed. " _I'll simply have to live with it. I hope, Captain, that you never have to make a similar choice. Maran out._ "  
  
Robert sat at his desk for a moment and contemplated everything. Was this how the world would always go? Good men and women having to make morally wrong, ethically wrong, decisions to save lives? Could he make a call like that?  
  
He found himself in agreement with Maran. He hoped he never had to make a choice like that.  
  
Robert stood up to get ready for the day. He only had time to take two steps from his desk before another tone went off. He groaned and turned back to hit the key again. "Dale here."  
  
" _Robert, please come to Holodeck 1 within half an hour_ ," said Lucy. " _It's important_."  
  
He put his fingers to his forehead in a moment of frustration, but he forced it away. There really was no harm in this. "Alright, I'll be there."  
  
  
  
  
Robert was in uniform when he arrived at Holodeck 1 twenty-three minutes later. The program was set to show one of the meditation yards from the Great Temple on Gersal, a familiar program for some of their training. He found Lucy and Meridina were already waiting for him. Meridina was in her _swevyra'se_ training clothing, as was Lucy. "Is this training? You never said it was," Robert remarked.  
  
"No, it's not," she insisted. Lucy gestured to a table before her covered in what looked like parts, including a few crystals that looked just big enough to fit into his palm. "I just wanted you hear for this. I think… no, I _know_ this will do it."  
  
"You're going to try and build a new version of Swenya's Blade?" Robert asked.  
  
"No, I'm not going to try to build one," Lucy said. She was emphatic when she continued, "I _am_ going to build one."  
  
Meridina nodded in approval. She knelt down into a meditative pose. Robert did the same, even if his uniform wasn't quite as flexible as their usual training clothing.  
  
Lucy drew in a breath and knelt as well, facing the table, which was now about eye-height for her. Robert felt the life energy within her swell. She was focusing on it.  
  
Parts on the table began to lift into the air, as did a brilliant blue crystal that looked almost like a big chunk of sapphire. Lucy felt the pieces individually and she felt how they would fit together, a delicate but complete whole. The first pieces formed what looked to Robert like a cradle for the crystal. As further pieces moved in they covered the crystal. Another group started to form a shell around it. As the process continued Robert's breathing slowed. He could _feel_ what Lucy was doing, at the edge of his mind. Something like a picture was forming in his head but he could not grasp it.  
  
It was clear that Lucy did have a grasp on it, however. There was a final snap as the last pieces came into place. The resulting weapon lacked something of the styling to Swenya's Blade that Robert remembered, but he could see the similarities easily, and the weapon would fit comfortably in one hand or two. He thought it looked better than her first attempt from two months before, the one that nearly exploded in her hand.  
  
Lucy looked up and got to her feet. She reached out with her right hand and her new weapon responded to her summons, moving in the air until she gripped it. She looked it over. Robert almost expected her to say something like "Here goes nothing", but she didn't. She _knew_ this would work on a level Robert didn't quite share.  
  
Lucy held the weapon in both hands and raised it to where the hilt was at eye level. Her blue eyes glistened with anticipation. Her thumb caressed the red button on the side.  
  
The electronic snap that filled the air was of a different pitch compared to the one of Swenya's Blade, or of her earlier failed attempt, and the hiss carried on for half a second or so less. Nevertheless the effect was as intended; a brilliant blue blade of light and energy surged from the weapon, of the same length as Swenya's Blade.  
  
Seconds passed. Robert waited to see if sparks would suddenly erupt as they had before. But even as the thought passed, something inside of him knew that they wouldn't.  
  
Lucy slowly lowered the blade and walked over to a slab of what looked like metal held up between two flat tables. She brought her new weapon up and brought the blue blade down on the metal.  
  
There was no sign of effort. The blade passed through cleanly, leaving reddened, nearly-molten bits of metal at the point of the cut that struck the ground on either end.  
  
All Robert could say was "Congratulations."  
  
Meridina's eyes were bright with the pride of a teacher, which was fitting as she was witnessing her student's grand achievement. "You have done it," she said. Tears started to fall. "Lucy, you have done something beyond compare."  
  
"It works," Lucy said. She deactivated the blade and turned back to face them. "Do you know what this means?"  
  
"Yes," Meridina answered, still smiling, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "I could not be more proud. By doing this, you have guaranteed that your name will be remembered by the Order of Swenya, no, by _all_ orders, all those who follow the Light in their own way. You have not simply reforged Swenya's Blade, you have proven we can build our own."  
  
"Where did the crystal come from?" Robert asked.  
  
"That's the best part," Lucy said. "It came from Gersal."  
  
"Truly?" Meridina's joy, which had seemed unmatched, increased yet further.  
  
"Yeah. Doreia has some too. And there's a deposit on an ice planet in L2M1, McQuarrie's Station. And on some other worlds… the crystals aren't always exactly the same, but they work." Lucy was tearing up too. "And I'll show them all, Meridina, I promise. Anyone who asks me, I'll explain it to them. I'll show them how to build a lightsaber. Starting with you two."  
  
"I'm not sure I can do it yet," Robert admitted. "My control's a bit… well, that looks very precise."  
  
"We'll work on it."  
  
"Are you sure about 'lightsaber' though?" Robert asked. "What about 'beamsword'? 'Energyblade'? Or even 'Lucy's Really Awesome Laser Sword'?"  
  
Meridina laughed at that one, and Lucy let out a giggle. She shook her head. "No, it doesn't sound right. None of those do." She looked back to her weapon. "It's a lightsaber. And anyone who is working the strengthen the Flow of Life, anyone who fights and strives for Light, will be taught how to build one. I _promise_." Lucy gestured to the table and met Meridina's eyes. "Would you like to begin?"  
  
Meridina nodded softly. "Yes," she said. "I would be honored to learn this skill from you, _Mastrash_ Lucy."  
  
Lucy didn't care for the title, but she let Meridina give it, if just to enjoy the warm and grateful smile on Meridina's face.  
  
Robert, meanwhile, was already on his omnitool. "Dale to Andreys."  
  
" _Andreys here._ "  
  
"I'm going to be late to the bridge," he said, eying Lucy and Meridina as Lucy moved a hand over the extra parts. "I've got something important that's come up. Dale out."  
  
And he watched, quietly and with a smile, as Lucy started to show Meridina what to do.  
  
  
  
  
The morning light shined over the city-moon of Solaris, over the gas giant of Solaris Major, and thus over the gray hull and transtanium domes of Villa _Straylight_. In the heart of the great space habitat, Sidney Hank walked into his personal office. Much like his office in the Pan-Empyrean Building, it was covered in artworks and books.  
  
But this one also had photos. Private photos. As he entered, he glanced to his left, showing an image of him standing in the grand vistas of Paris, where even the Earthreign had agreed to keep the City of Lights bright. The Eiffel Tower was lit up behind him. The next photo was from a trip to North America. Niagara Falls. Another North American photo - the Grand Canyon, restored after years of labor - followed by Kilimanjaro in East Africa.  
  
" _You're getting nostalgic again_ ," a voice chided.  
  
"I could visit them again," said Sidney. "Earth's out there again. In other universes." He continued on, past the art and the photos, to the right of his desk and chair. He put his hand on the wall. "What do you think?"  
  
" _I think it would be inadvisable_ ," replied the electronic voice of the computational intelligence called Dionysus, the governing mind of the entire villa and of Pan-Empyrean itself. " _And I see you're in the mood for auditory conversation this morning. How inefficient of you._ "  
  
"Sometimes, D, I think it's inefficiency that keeps us Human," Sidney said. The security systems on the hand plate finished processing. They opened up the hidden door in the side, allowing him entry into the large chamber within. Much like the Pan-Empyrean building, this chamber was bigger on the inside. He looked to one of the images beside the entrance. It depicted him in the company of a Human-looking woman with dark hair and blue eyes. She was clad in a blue jacket with white shirt and matching white trousers. Her weapon dangled on her waist in the image, while he was wearing a tactical combat suit with a plasma pistol on his waist and a full-scale rifle slung over his back. "She never did like wearing that," he mused.  
  
" _You're not being as open with your mental processes this morning, so I can't be sure what you mean. Oh. I see. You're accessing those memories again._ "  
  
"I am." The next image was of the woman again, with Sidney, and the figure beside them was another old acquaintance, a Human-looking figure clad in a red jacket and a discarded scarf off one shoulder.  
  
" _You've been accessing them often over the last two years. Nostalgia does not become you, Sidney._ "  
  
"You mean it does not become _us_ , don't you D?"  
  
" _When you get like this, I stop thinking of us as one being. And we often are not anyway. I believe that was the point of the exercise for this body?"_  
  
"We were losing our Humanity. That would have caused us problems." Sidney moved on toward the center of the room. "But that's not the issue now." Sidney Hank's voice hardened. "They were right. Damn them, D, they were right. The _Aurora_ crew clinches it."  
  
" _I sense you're rather impressed by them._ "  
  
"Captain Dale's got power. Maybe more than he realizes. And there's more. But that's not the important thing." Sidney put his hand over a flat chest of about fifty centimeters by thirty by fifteen. It was locked, as it had been for a long, long time. "We have to be ready."  
  
" _Perhaps this time will be different._ "  
  
"We heard the others, back then. It's never different. It happens every time." Sidney admired the ornate writing, in alien script, on the box. "And if we're not ready, we lose everything."  
  
" _I concur_ ," replied the CI. " _Are you going to give it to them, as he instructed?_ "  
  
Sidney considered the question. "When the time is right," he decided. "But not before. We have to make sure."  
  
" _I'm not sure he would agree with you on that course of action._ "  
  
"Maybe not." Sidney smirked at the thought of the old man's ability to glower in disagreement. "But I'm the one here, and I'm making the call." He ran his hand over the chest one more time, contemplating what was inside, and what it was meant to do. He turned away from it and walked toward the exit of his vault of secrets. "Okay, D, transmit my schedule for the day. I've got work to do." As the data flowed into his implant, Sidney stepped out of the vault and back into his office.  
  
There was, indeed, a lot of work to do.


End file.
